‘Torture-free zones' pushed as human rights violation cases up

By Florence F. Hibionada

Cases of human rights violations ranging from illegal arrest and arbitrary detention, torture, harassment, extra-judicial execution and massacre are reported to have now reached its record high. 

With over 21,000 alleged victims on record, majority of which at 20,000 suffered illegal demolition, validated cases of torture also continue to haunt advocates against the Arroyo administration even as calls for strengthened government action and intervention are made. 

The solution, advocates push, could begin in creating “torture-free zones” throughout the country particularly in areas identified to be ‘venues' of torture and similar forms of human rights violations. 

Anti-torture law must also be passed to support existing laws.

In a report, longtime human rights group Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) point to government agents as the suspects and main violators. 

Topping the TFDP list, soldiers of the Philippine Army remain on the number one spot with 55 supposed torture cases on the Army's credit, followed by the Philippine National Police at 22 cases and the “Intelligence” agents at 12 cases.

Completing the ‘cast of characters' were the Philippine Marines, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine Air Force and even the volunteer Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit or CAFGUs.  The said report, the group said, were recent cases documented from January to August 26 of this year.

In a press conference Sunday, TFDP Executive Director Aurora Parong joined human rights lawyers and advocates and released statistics of the group's other documented cases.  To date, there are twelve active cases being prosecuted as hundreds of other incidents are documented.

Yet grim as the statistics are, Parong maintained, TFDP is optimistic of winning the war against escalating and persisting human rights violations.  As such, link-ups and dialogues continue to be made and efforts to educate both government and non-government sector are strengthened.

“Human rights must be respected at all times even in times of war and conflict,” Parong began while adding that both sides, government agents and ‘enemies'of the State “should respect humanitarian and human rights laws.”

“We seek justice by filing the cases.  We are also getting in touch with local government units and to date, we have about 294 anti-torture resolutions passed.  We continue to have dialogues with the Philippine Army, the police and to our officials up to the barangay level.  They are our ‘partners' against torture, it starts there and in the future, the fight will be against human rights violations in general,” Parong continued.  The city and province of Iloilo are part of those who made official its stance against torture.

Torture cases on record have minors as the most number of victims followed by women and then the elderly.  Mindanao region holds the highest in documented incident with 123 victims reported.

“We have to be optimistic so we continue to do what we do,” she added, “we are here for the prevention of human rights violations and bring the perpetrators to justice.  We fought against the dictatorship of the Marcos regime and if we were able to contribute in his ouster, then we just have to be optimistic this time.

Similar sentiments echoed by lawyer Ricardo Sunga III of the University of the Philippines' Institute of Human Rights.

“There is difficulty but we have our remedies – file case for damages, seek administrative sanctions against the perpetrators,” he said while acknowledging, “but the problems are also there.”

“Problems” such as victims' lack of trust and confidence on the criminal justice system, constant fear and not just enough lawyers. 

And how about human rights violations of non-government agents such as communist rebels and other insurgent groups.

The TFDP said a number of such were on record in Luzon yet as Sunga pointed out, “special attention” is given to the military and the police.

“They are sworn directly to protect the people, they also have direct access to the resources of government, they are there for the people.  But then again, atrocities, outrages against human dignity are fully wrong.  Whichever side you are, it is fully wrong and equally contemptible,” he stressed.

Documented cases include 51 victims of massacre, 38 of whom died and 13 others wounded, forced evacuation on some 330 families, harassment on over 500 individuals and nine barangays and disappearance of eight victims.

Also present in the press conference was TFDP counsel for Western Visayas, Human Rights lawyer Hermilo Paoyon and farmer-litigant, Rosendo Alagos of Negros Occidental.