The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regional office recorded 84 cases of human rights violation from January 2014 up to March this year, most of them allegedly perpetrated by the police and the military.
Monday, 13 April 2015 20:43 | By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regional office recorded 84 cases of human rights violation from January 2014 up to March this year, most of them allegedly perpetrated by the police and the military.
According to CHR11 chief investigator Emiliano Cajes, 43 or more than half of the cases were killings in various forms.
Cajes said the complaints his office received were mostly against the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
For its part, Amnesty International Philippines (AIP) urged Davao City to lead efforts towards curbing human rights violations.
AIP campaigner Wilmor Papa said the city can lead these efforts in Mindanao since it is one of the stronger cities in Southern Philippines.
“Rights-based approach to crime prevention, poverty alleviation and conflict resolution will ultimately bring peace and Davao can play a major role in that,” Papa said.
Papa also rejected Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s statement calling for the return of the death penalty, saying it is the “ultimate violation of human rights.”
He said AIP believes the death penalty will not solve criminality in the country.
For his part, 10th Infantry Division Civil Military office (CMO) head Lieutenant Colonel Norman Zuniega admitted receiving complaints of human rights violations.
Zuniega said the AFP itself also investigates the complaints to find out the truth.
“Sometimes the complaints against our troops are pure allegations and the information is incomplete,” he said.
On the part of the PNP, Regional Investigation Division and Development head Superintendent Joseph Sepulchre said all branches of the PNP have their own human rights office.
He also said that the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 always inspects all police offices in the region to ensure that no torture is being done against detainees.