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On the Occasion of the 1 st Founding Anniversary of the PNP-HRAO
National Headquarters, Camp Crame, Quezon City, Philippines, 14 July 2008

delivered by
LEILA M. DE LIMA
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
Guest of Honor Speaker

Good morning.

It is my exquisite honor to address all of you, the uniformed men and women of the Philippine National Police, and our distinguished awardees from among the various partners of the PNP-Human Rights Affairs Office.

Today is a celebration of the first-year founding anniversary of the Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO). It is not merely a celebration of the time that had passed, an intangible, sentimental marker that is intended to make us nostalgic. More than a marking of a calendar day, it is also a time to reflect on what has happened in the past year, and what had been accomplished and changed from a year ago.

And what had been accomplished under the direction of Senior Superintendent Lina C. Sarmiento in carrying out Police Director General Avelino I. Razon’s vision and intended legacy of making the PNP a “UN-certified fortress of human rights protection”, all the accomplishments over the past year in institutionalizing human rights as an unassailable standard within the police force, these are the true reasons to call this day a celebration. We celebrate the unconditional pledge of Gen. Razon and S/Supt. Sarmiento in committing the entire PNP to the service and protection of human rights. We celebrate the bold and difficult, yet hopeful steps, taken by you, the men and women of the PNP, to be true protectors of human rights and the Filipino people.

Within the past year, there have been several laudable projects undertaken by the PNP to promote human rights. The inauguration of the PNP Human Rights Development Program, dubbed as “PAMANA”, serves as the blueprint of action of the PNP to respect, promote and protect human rights in line with the marching orders of the President to make human rights the center of the PNP’s efforts to serve and protect the people. PAMANA covers many of the much-needed innovations that the PNP must undertake to truly become a UN-certified fortress of human rights protection. We in the Commission on Human Rights are particularly excited that the PNP leadership now has an express policy of close coordination with us and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines Monitoring Committee (GRP MC) on the continued monitoring of cases of human rights violations in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). Other notable projects and accomplishments include the creation of the Women and Children Protection Center, the launch of the Human Rights Time Check (which is a weekly inter-agency HR discussion forum), further education and sensitivity training on Indigenous People’s cultures to improve the quality of policing in IP areas and of course, the “Mamang Pulis Advocacy Campaign”, which includes the thrusts of making our police force staunch advocates of human rights and making them approachable and trusted by the community. The Mamang Pulis/Aling Pulis project/concept is particularly appealing to the youngsters and children.

The human rights campaign within the PNP is fully supported by the Commission on Human Rights. In line with our own mandate to investigate and monitor government compliance with human rights standards, the CHR has its own thrusts in relation to the PNP that are not very different from Gen. Razon’s vision.

The first of these are increased jail visitations and inspections. Minsan ako mismo ang dumadalaw sa mga bilangguan at detention centers na wala man lang abiso, pasabi o babala. Talaga nga naman, ang daming nabulabog na station commanders! The objective is to achieve effective monitoring and evaluation of jails and the response of the police and BJMP to our recommendations. You will agree with me that regular, surprise jail-visitation is the best deterrent to the commission of torture and other inhuman acts. Increased random jail inspections are also one of the objectives spelled out in the PAMANA.

Another thrust of the CHR is to incorporate into law the clearance system for police promotions. At the moment, the clearance system is found only in the form of administrative orders. Along with an HRV-free record, the provisions of Presidential Memorandum Order No. 259 ( 7 February 1995 ) require that policemen and women seeking promotion or transfer must first complete appropriate human rights courses. Muli, hindi ito nalalayo sa direktibo ni Gen. Razon na hasain ang mga kapasidad ng pulisya sa larangan ng karapatang pantao sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon . (This is not far removed from Gen. Razon’s directives to develop the capacities of police officers on human rights consciousness through HR education.)

Finally, pursuant to the Constitution, we will exercise to the fullest of our mandate, our duty to ensure government compliance with human rights standards, by carrying out honest-to-goodness investigations of human rights abuses committed by agents of the government, including members of the police. Once again, this is in line with the defined objectives of PAMANA, specifically the impartial and “speedy disposition of administrative cases filed against PNP personnel and the conduct of case studies and critical analyses on specific HR violations by police officers.”

Hindi po nagkakaiba ang mga hangarin ng CHR at ni General Razon para sa PNP sa larangan ng karapatang pantao.

Bagama’t marami nang programang naitaguyod ang PNP-HRAO sa loob ng nakaraang taon, lubhang marami pa ang mga pagsubok ng PNP. Memories of the abuses committed during the Martial Law years, when the police were part of the Philippine Constabulary, are hard to forget. Incidents during the term of past police chiefs, like the Kuratong Baleleng Case and the Ortigas rubout, have not been forgotten. At ngayon, ang RCBC Massacre at ang pinaghihinalaang rubout sa Tanauan, Batangas ay patuloy na nag-iiwan ng masamang bahid sa imahe ng buong kapulisan.

The success of changing the image of the PNP hinges on the political will of its leadership and the partnerships cultivated and strengthened by the PNP-HRAO. The Commission on Human Rights, as your partner, is committed to contributing to these efforts of your HRAO. Behind the scenes, meaning less in the public eye, there remains the commitment of the CHR to reviewing and revising the graduated curricula on HR-IHL for the police and the military and providing increased education services. In addition, there are plans to improve the prosecution of HRVs by better coordinating the police, public prosecutors and the CHR investigation units particularly in the preparation of evidence.

On the front pages, there remains our difficult duty of issuing advisories and press statements addressing the PNP on incidents of suspected human rights violations committed by policemen. For as long as necessary, we will continue to issue these statements on violations specific to law enforcement agents, such as illegal arrests, arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force, EJKs and even the indiscriminate parading of suspects to the media, a practice which, I must note with much chagrin, has not stopped.

As partners in our common goal of promoting and protecting human rights, the CHR and PNP must shed this perception that the CHR is anti-government or even anti-PNP, or pro-communist or criminal coddlers. We are not. Hindi po kami kalaban. Hindi po tayo talô. On one hand, we recognize the vital role that police play in maintaining peace and order and upholding the law. On the other hand, the CHR plays a crucial role in ensuring that every ounce of the law is dutifully followed by the very people designated to uphold it. And our roles must be complementary.

Upon assuming office in the CHR barely two months ago, General Razon and S/Supt. Sarmiento have received me warmly as a partner in human rights advocacy, a comrade in government and as a friend. Like true partners, and true friends, we must be protective of each other’s best interests. But protecting a friend’s best interests sometimes includes the difficult duty to criticize, correct, and to demand redress. It is in this difficult duty that the CHR can truly protect the honorable reputation of the entire PNP.

The same holds true within your ranks. The service is a brotherhood in itself, a camaraderie between the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to serve and protect the people against unlawful elements. And while policemen and women must protect one another, when one among you errs and violates police operational procedures, especially procedures intended to protect human rights, you must make the same difficult choice to criticize, correct and demand redress from your comrades through the proper administrative channels. This is the only way you can protect the individual reputation of each policeman and policewoman, of General Razon, as well as the institutional integrity of the PNP itself and the government that you serve.

The vision of the PNP becoming a UN-certified fortress of human rights protection is magnificent. But this vision can only come about through two channels. First, it can be attained through the support of the partners of the PNP-HRAO. This being my first address to the PNP, I commit to you the full support of the Fourth Commission in attaining this vision. The CHR is firmly behind you. Second, and more importantly, the vision can be attained through the efforts from within the force itself, led by the example of your superiors. The creation of a human rights-centered police force rests heavily on you, the courageous men and women of the Philippine National Police. The task of acquiring a deep and profound understanding of and respect for human rights must be personal to each and every one of you.

On this first-year anniversary of the PNP-HRAO, we celebrate this inspiring dream and its humble beginnings. From hereon, we look forward to carrying the dream further, and overcoming the challenges. Someday soon, we hope that the celebration would not just be the marking of an anniversary, but a toast to the success of making our police force truly, and unmistakably, protectors of human rights.

Congratulations to the PNP-HRAO. At maraming salamat po.