A SENIOR State Department official has said that trying and convicting perpetrators of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines remains a challenge but recognized the decline in the pace of killings.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, in his testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade on February 7, said the U.S. is concerned about extra-judicial killings in the Philippines stressing the U.S. has longstanding advocacy for human rights and specifically the concerns Washington had about extra-judicial killings.

The U.S. is providing support through The Asia Foundation to help build capacity and streamline these cases, which would help further advance accountability.

“Over the past years, some members of the security forces have been involved in politically-motivated murders. As you are aware, the U.S. Congress has withheld three million dollars in Foreign Military Financing from the Philippines, pending progress toward accountability regarding these killings. Although the pace of killings has declined, trying and convicting perpetrators remains an ongoing challenge,” he said.

Last month, the Philippines appealed to the US to remove the “withholding element” in not releasing a portion of its assistance to the Philippine military by the U.S. Congress, saying that perception of worse human rights situation in the country is not factual.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario made the appeal when he met with the bi-partisan U.S. Congressional delegation led by House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Kentucky) and Ranking Member Norman Dicks (D-Washington) on Jan. 14.

The seven-member delegation visited the Philippines from January 13-15, 2012 to meet with President Aquino and del Rosario and other government representatives.

The delegation looked at overseas activities and foreign relations of the U.S. As appropriators, their work touches all U.S. Government operations and all aspects of their relations with the Philippines.

The U.S. Congress continues to withhold a portion of U.S. assistance to the Philippine military until the Philippine government meets certain conditions related to solving and prosecuting cases of extrajudicial killings.

U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. informed representatives of Philippine-based human rights groups during a discussion at the US Embassy on October 21, 2011 about the withholding of U.S. assistance to the Philippines.

Thomas said the U.S. Embassy was encouraged by the pledge that President Aquino made in his 2010 State of the Nation Address to curb extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.    Jun Pisco