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EJK is chief human rights concern in PHL — US


Extrajudicial killing was identified by the US State Department as the most pressing human rights concern in the Philippines, according to a 2018 country report it released on March 13.

"Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the country for many years and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the anti-drug campaign in 2016, they continued in the reporting year, albeit at a lower level," the report read.

From January to September 29, media chronicled 673 deaths in police operations suspected to be connected with the government’s anti-drug campaign.

It also noted that civilian control over the Philippine National Police (PNP) "continued to improve but was not fully effective."

Further, it described as "largely ineffective" the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) which is mandated to investigate deaths related to police operations.

Human rights issues included unlawful or arbitrary killings by security forces, vigilantes, and others allegedly connected to the government, and by insurgents; forced disappearance; torture; arbitrary detention; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; political prisoners; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; criminal libel; killings of and threats against journalists; official corruption and abuse of power; and the use of forced and child labor.

The report cited data from PNP that there were 441 cops who were accused of violating human rights from January to July 2018.

Of these, it claimed, court charges were pending in 375 cases, 50 personnel were exonerated; 10 cases were dismissed; four persons were dismissed from service, one suspended, and one demoted. An additional 21 PNP personnel were dismissed from service for actions taken in anti-drug operations.

In April the IAS reported that from 2015 to 2017, final reports with a recommendation for action had been submitted to PNP leadership in only 721 out of 2,431 cases.

The IAS reported that manpower and resource limitations hampered the legally required investigations into deaths resulting from police operations, but asserted nonetheless that 100 percent of the deaths in police shootings resulted from legitimate, lawful police actions.

"The government investigated a limited number of reported human rights abuses, including abuses by its own forces, paramilitaries, and insurgent and terrorist groups," the report said.

"Concerns about police impunity increased significantly following the sharp increase in killings by police in 2016," it added.

Harsh and life-threatening prison conditions

The report of the US State Department also noted the "often harsh and potentially life-threatening" conditions in penal institutions.

"BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) facilities operated at more than 2.5 times the official capacity of 16,010, holding 43,978 prisoners. The capacity remained the same as in 2017, but the number of prisoners grew by 2,000," it said.

It added that the Commission on Human Rights confirmed that overcrowding in detention facilities has worsened due to the administration's anti-drug campaign.

The US also noted the poor sanitation, inadequate ventilation, poor access to natural lighting, and lack of potable water contributed to health problems in detention facilities.

There were 766 inmate deaths from January to July 2018, citing data from the BuCor and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

It added that medicine allowance for each prisoner was a meager P10 per day.

"Opportunities for prisoner recreation, learning, and self-improvement remained scarce," it further noted.

The report also focused on the following:

  • Respect for Civil Liberties
  • Freedom to Participate in the Political Process
  • Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government
  • Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights
  • Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons
  • Worker Rights

— BAP, GMA News

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