Army rights advocacy paying off; zero violations for 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The intensified efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to educate and train its soldiers on the protection of Human Rights and adherence to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Rule of Law continue to pay off with zero Human Rights Violation (HRV) recorded for the first four months of 2012.
The AFP Human Rights Office (HRO) has been tasked to verify HRV reports involving military personnel that were referred to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
To address these circumstances, the AFPHRO created a Board of Inquiry (BOI) that was also replicated down to the battalion levels to conduct investigations that would validate the reports of the CHR.
The findings of the BOI revealed that all of the referred HRV cases tagging military personnel were only accusation and did not produce sufficient evidence against AFP soldiers.
The alleged HRV reports and complaints that the CHR has received covering the period from July 2010 to March 2012 totaled to 84 wherein the perpetrators are believed to be members of the military. Of this number, 15 were dismissed, while the rest are for filing of cases, further evaluation and/or investigation.
The AFPHRO has vowed to maintain its close coordination with the Commission on Human Rights to reconcile the numbers of alleged HRVs recorded by both parties.
AFPHRO is not taking these reports hands down, and is continuously acquiring the case information of CHR’s reports to further conduct investigations that would prove the veracity of the said HRV cases.
The AFP, at the same time, will not tolerate human rights violation within its ranks, and will continue to apply the rule of law toward any soldier at all times whether on duty or off duty.
Any soldier who will be involved in any misconduct or malpractice will be dealt with through the military justice system, but the AFP is not a prosecutory body and it can only go as far as undertaking disciplinary actions such as dismissal from military service and privileges.
Once an involved soldier goes outside military bounds, the final say will come from the higher civilian court which will undergo due process of law.
“The AFPHRO’s intensified efforts form part in the significant development in the AFP’s advocacy to promote and protect the Human Rights and adherence to the IHL,” said Colonel Domingo J. Tutaan, HRO chief.
Since its creation in 2007, the office has been consistent in its campaign programs pertaining to HR, IHL, and the Rule of Law. This is reflected in the advocacy lectures and seminars about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other international human rights bills.
The AFPHRO is also very active in teaching AFP personnel assigned in garrisons and in the field about local laws such as the RA 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity; RA 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009; RA 7438 or the act defining the rights of arrested, detained or persons under custody as well as the duties of the arresting, detaining and investigating officers; and Rule 113 under the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Consistent with the whole-of-nation and multi-stakeholder principles of the Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan, the AFPHRO has been closely coordinating with other government agencies, human rights advocacy groups and local government units to spread the military’s advocacy on Human Rights.
“We have been presenting to the civilians what we are doing to educate and train our personnel in order to prevent and stop violations and malpractices on our part,” Tutaan said.
Just last month, the AFPHRO conducted a series of advocacy and training seminars in all AFP area commands and Philippine Navy units in the field.
The seminars are focused on raising the awareness as well as informing soldiers about the principles of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
It also teaches the soldiers about the proper process of filing complaints against the enemies who committed violations of this agreement.
“We will also be conducting non-formal education training by means of our mobile training team together with the International Committee of the Red Cross and Philippines–Monitoring Committee. Our target is the soldiers and Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGUs) in the field particularly the different divisions and patrol bases of the Philippine Army,” Tutaan said.
“We will be training all the military trainers concerned and detachment commanders in our purpose of informing them, as well as for them to conduct day-to-day informal talks with their personnel about the protection of HR and adherence to IHL as their prime concern in all of their undertakings, combatant or not,” Tutaan added.
The awareness of soldiers together with the support and cooperation of other stakeholders contributed to the dwindling numbers of HRVs. This has brought the AFPHRO to come up with more programs and proposed mechanisms ahead that would further enhance AFP’s approach on dealing with HRV cases.
In fact, HR courses and modules are being taught as pre-entry courses to civilians who intend to join the military. This is also done in military schooling and is taught at the AFP Command and General Staff College, one of AFP’s premier training institutions tasked to train senior leaders and key officers who are about to take or assume command and sensitive staff positions in the AFP.
“What we really want is for each and every soldier to take deep into their heart what really is Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, and truly understand and apply it to all of their undertakings,” Tutaan said.
“We believe that every Filipinos deserve a safe and secure environment to live in, where progress and development thrives. This is why the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as embodied in our IPSP Bayanihan, has been continuously intensifying its advocacy on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law within our ranks so that our soldiers will perform better and more efficiently their duties and responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability in our country,” AFP Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa said.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2012/05/13/army-rights-advocacy-paying-zero-violations-2012-221253

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