Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3589

 123STA T . 3 569CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS —D EC. 1 8, 2 0 09 other t im eo n th a t d a y a s may b es p e c i f ied in the motion to recess or ad j o u rn , or unti l the time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, w hiche v er occurs first .SEC . 2. T he Spea k er of the H ouse and the M ajority L eader of the Senate, or their respective desi g nees, acting jointly after consultation with the Minority Leader of the House and the Minority Leader of the Senate, shall notify the Members of the House and the Senate, respectively, to reassemble at such place and time as they may designate if, in their opinion, the public interest shall warrant it. A greed to N ovember 2 0, 200 9 . MAGUIND ANA O,PH I L IPPIN ES MASSA CR E — CONDOLENCES AND CONDEMNA T ION W hereas, on November 2 3, 2009, 57 unarmed civilians were slain in Maguindanao in the worst politically motivated violence in recent P hilippine history Whereas those killed were on their way to file nomination papers on behalf of I smael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of B uluan, who intended to run against Andal Ampatuan, J r. who is currently mayor of D atay U nsu, in ne x t year ’ s gubernatorial elections to succeed Andal Ampatuan, Sr., the father of Andal Ampatuan, Jr.; Whereas many of those killed were women and children, including the wife of V ice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu and his two sisters; Whereas most of the women were reportedly raped and their bodies were mutilated after being shot; Whereas as of December 2, 2009, initial charges have been filed in connection with the massacre, according to press reports; Whereas the F reedom Fund for Filipino Journalists reports that at least 30 journalists and media workers were killed in the Maguindanao massacre; Whereas, the C ommittee to Protect Journalists reports that prior to the Maguindanao massacre, 30 journalists had been killed in the Philippines since 2000, and suspects were prosecuted in no more than 4 cases, putting into q uestion the safety of journal - ists and the integrity of independent journalism in the Phil- ippines; Whereas government prosecutors and judges with jurisdiction over the massacre have allegedly received threats and have been told to ‘ ‘go slow’’ on the investigation; Whereas President G loria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao the day after the massacre, vowing that ‘‘no effort will be spared to bring justice to the victims’’; Whereas extrajudicial killings and election-related violence are common in the Philippines, though never on this scale and rarely with this level of brutality; and Whereas the United States and the Philippines share a strong friendship based on shared history and the commitment to democ- racy and freedom Now, therefore, be it Dec.18,20 0 9[H . Con . R e s . 218 ]