Karapatan today called on the United Nations Sub-committee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to look into the 110 cases of torture and numerous cases of illegal arrests under the Aquino administration.
The UN SPT will be in the Philippines for a country visit from May 25 to June 3 to monitor the implementation of the Optional protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OpCAT), which was ratified by the Philippines in 2012.
Karapatan today called on the United Nations Sub-committee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to look into the 110 cases of torture and numerous cases of illegal arrests under the Aquino administration.
The UN SPT will be in the Philippines for a country visit from May 25 to June 3 to monitor the implementation of the Optional protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OpCAT), which was ratified by the Philippines in 2012.
Aside from torture cases, Karapatan also documented 723 victims of illegal arrests and detention. “We enjoin the UN SPT to hear the voices of victims of torture and illegal arrests, for in hearing and analyzing their testimonies can they have a comprehensive grasp and analysis on what is keeping the Philippine government from preventing torture,” said Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan.
Many of the torture cases documented by Karapatan were perpetrated by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in the course of their military combat operations in rural areas. “The torture and degrading treatment were experienced by three Blaan in Malapatan, Sarangani in the hands of the 73rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) to force them to admit they are NPA supporters, while aerial bombings, economic blockade, encampment in residential areas, indiscriminate firing and other rights abuses were conducted in their communities,” Palabay stated.
Almost 150 men from the 73rd IB-PA conducted military operations on March 27 until April 10, 2015 affecting some 358 families or 1,800 individuals who became victims of abuses and human rights violations. For more information, please click this link: https://www.karapatan.org/Pull-out+the+73rd+IBPA+from+Sarangani+Province+and+stop+human+rights+violations+among+the+Blaan+tribe.
The military operations have commenced their operations, and some 246 Blaan evacuated from their villages. As of yesterday, Karapatan SoCSKSarGen reported that the same military unit continues to harass the residents in the evacuation center.
Karapatan also called on the UN SPT to look into the collusion of the Philippine National Police and the AFP during operations, which result to torture and illegal arrests and detention of civilians, including political activists. The group said that the case of security guard Rolly Panesa is an example.
Panesa was arrested on October 5, 2012. In his testimony, he said he was tortured and detained for 11 months because he was wrongfully tagged as Benjamin Mendoza, an alleged high-ranking regional officer of the New People’s Army. Former AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista released a P5.6-million reward to an informant who "identified" Panesa as "Benjamin Mendoza." On August 29, the Court of Appeals (CA) ruled that Panesa was a victim of mistaken identity, and ordered the jail warden of Camp Bagong Diwa to release him from prison.
Karapatan said that in the conclusion of his country visit on March 2007, former Special Rapporteur Philip Alston identified the causes that constitute the killings and other rights violations in the Philippines: first, the “vilification”, “labelling”, or guilt by association; second, the extent to which aspects of the Government’s counter-insurgency has impacted on the political and civil rights of persons.
“Torture and other rights abuses commence without relent because the Philippine government continues to strongly adhere to a counter-insurgency program that violates people’s rights. Such doctrine remains entrenched in the police and military establishment,” Palabay concluded.