Torture victims in RP bring case to UN body

MANILA, Philippines – People complaining of torture in the country have brought their case before a United Nations body in Geneva, Switzerland even as the Philippine government faces a review of its compliance with the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Punishment by the international human rights panel.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, meanwhile, met with Mark Thompson, secretary-general of the Association of the Prevention of Torture (APT), during the latter’s call at the permanent Philippine mission to the United Nations in Geneva, to seek joint cooperation to prevent cases of torture in the country.

Human rights watchdog Karapatan gave a briefing to the 10-member body during the 42nd Session of the UN Committee Against Torture on their data, views, and analysis of the county’s human rights condition.

The group believed that torture has now become “a covert national policy” along with unexplained killings, enforced disappearances and other grievous rights violations that are being “resorted to by the State to quell the protests and dissent of the people.”

The militant delegation to the Geneva meeting appealed to the Committee to call the attention of the Philippine government “to make real its commitments to uphold human rights, stop torturing its citizens, and make the perpetrators accountable.”

In a statement, Karapatan said farmer Raymond Manalo, who suffered 18 months of “barbarity in the hands of the military,” and Berlin Guerrero, a United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) pastor who was allegedly abducted and tortured by alleged members of naval intelligence, narrated their ordeals before the Committee at Palais Wilson.

Karapatan said Manalo also confirmed before the panel his previous personal account on the disappearance of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, the killing and burning of farmer Manuel Merino as well as the disappearance and summary execution of several other civilians.

Manalo and Guerrero were accompanied by the Philippine Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Watch led by Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary-general of Karapatan; Edre Olalia, Karapatan special legal consultant for UN Mechanisms; and Trisha Garvida, Karapatan intern, as well other Geneva-based Filipinos under Migrante International.

Enriquez presented Karapatan’s Joint Report with the Geneva-based World Organization against Torture (OMCT), as endorsed by militant organizations Bayan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilpinas, Kalikasan, Center for Environmental Concerns, Amihan and Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, among others.

Based on the joint report, Enriquez claimed that attacks against human right defenders, church people and other social sectors in the Philippines are on the upswing following 20 cases of extra-judicial killings recorded beginning January 2009. 

“Based on our analysis on about 1,016 cases that we have monitored and documented since President Arroyo took power in 2001, various forms of abuses continue to be leveled against ordinary citizens all over the country in the name of counter-insurgency,” Enriquez said.

“The Arroyo government has not only turned a blind eye on torture but has allowed it to perpetuate. Perpetrators have not been punished, and instead they are being installed in government,” she said.

She also lamented the accession of Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., whom activists branded as “The Butcher,” in Congress.

Militant groups maintained that Palparan, who recently assumed office in the House of Representatives as nominee of party-list group Bantay, must be held accountable for the spate of unexplained killings and disappearances of activists, including their leaders.

‘Enhance torture prevention’

Ermita is in Geneva to lead the Philippine delegation to the meetings and reviews of the various UN bodies on human rights and migrant workers.

Among those in the delegation were Ambassador Erlinda Basilio, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva; Undersecretary Severo Catura, executive director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC); and Interior Undersecretary Melchor Rosales.

Ermita and Thompson discussed possible cooperation on awareness-raising and capacity-building projects in the Philippines, Catura said.

The APT led the international campaign for the adoption, entry into force and effective implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), “which allows for the open scrutiny of all places of detention by international and national mechanisms.”

The Philippine government signed the OPCAT in April 2008 and is in the process of ratifying it.

Ermita welcomed interaction with the APT and said he looked forward to having the group touch base with relevant authorities in the Philippines to explore avenues for cooperation.

“We need to enhance prevention of torture and raise awareness especially in police and security forces,” Ermita told Thomson. “We hope we can welcome you to the Philippines soon.”

“The Executive Secretary also encouraged APT to interact with the media, particularly the international TV and film industries, to help change the perceptions and popular images of torture and truly show its negative effects on human rights and extraction of reliable information,” Catura said.

Catura briefed the APT on the Philippine OPCAT Working Group established by PHRC, which is presently conducting consultations with the Commission on Human Rights and civil society on preparations for Philippine ratification of the OPCAT.

Rosales, who chairs the Philippine PCAT Working Group, informed APT about the compulsory human rights training modules of the Philippine Public Safety College for police, firemen and officials of the jail bureau.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducts human rights and international humanitarian law training modules for all personnel and officials.

Also present at the meeting were Undersecretary Ron Salo of the Office of the President, Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Denis Lepatan, Second Secretary Hendrik Garcia, and Director Leigh Fajardo-Garcia of the PHRC.

Catura said Thomson appreciated the Philippines’ openness to engage with the APT and mentioned that the Philippines had an “impressive potential to move into more positive areas and even become a model of torture prevention.”

Possible areas of cooperation discussed with the APT include specialized training of security and police personnel, analysis of legislative issues, establishment of a national preventive mechanism, and implementation of the CAT and OPCAT.

The Philippines is presenting its periodic report to the Committee Against Torture (CAT) in Geneva.

The Philippines has been active in the field of human rights at the UN in Geneva over the past week, as the session with the CAT follows the successful presentation of its initial report to the Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) last week as well as participation in the 2009 Durban World Conference on Racism. – –Katherine Adraneda, Paolo Romero, Philippine Star