Present concrete program against torture, PNP told

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday asked the Philippine National Police to present its concrete plans and programs against torture amid its assurance that  police officers are trained to respect human rights. 

 

“I’m asking for the report from the PNP on their compliance with the spirit, not only on the letter, of the anti-torture law. What are their programs to improve the respect for human rights within the organization,” Pimentel told reporters after the hearing.

 

During the hearing of the committee on justice and human rights on the alleged increased number of torture and ill-treatment during police investigation, PNP Chief Supt. Jose Villacorta said the police organization is doing everything it can to prevent the use of torture.

 

“Sa lahat ng training sa basic officers’ course, advance officers’ course etc, palaging kasama yung program sa human rights. I’m not sure how many hours but lahat yan dumaan sa training. Ipinagbabawal po talaga sa amin yan, kahit report lang iniimbestigahan at tinatanggal,” he said.

 

“Kung magsisimula sa torture ang training sa pulis, sa simula pa lang mali na kaya ipinagbabawal nang mahigpit yan kahit sa recruitment sa iba’t ibang training center ng PNP,” he added.

 

Villacorta said the PNP program against torture is implemented to the letter especially now that Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, a disciplinarian, is heading the police organization.

Espina has been designated officer-in-charge while PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima is serving a six-months preventive suspension while being investigated for an alleged anomalous deal with a courier service.

What programs, plans?

 

During the hearing, Pimentel asked Villacorta what concrete plans and programs will be implemented by the PNP. But Villacorte replied that he does have such detailed information as he was told to attend the hearing only on Tuesday.

 

The police official promised to provide the Senate the list of programs in the next hearing.

 

Pimentel said the problem with torture starts with the culture of violence which is hard to break especially if a neophyte saw or experience it himself.

 

“Sa recruitment pa lang nae-expose sa violence at sometimes kung dahil dyan nakikita mo ginagawa ng mga superiors sa’yo, akala mo tuloy na okay. Ito na, once you’re the policeman now or police officer, you can do this now the common man, so kultura nga,” he said. 

 

He said what should be done now is to implement a culture of respect for human rights and implementation of law. 

 

Asked if there is a need to amend the Anti-Torture Law, Pimentel replied in the negative, saying its implementation should be given more focus.

 

“Ang importante ngayon since meron na tayong batas, we have to implement the law so that the deterrent effect of this penal or this criminal law ay maramdaman natin.  We have to punish all of those who perpetrated torture para hindi na sila sundan,” he said. 

 

An international human rights group, Amnesty International, earlier reported that most torture incidents in the country are being perpetrated by police officers. 

 

The AI report noted that based on the records of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), of the 28 cases of torture recorded from January to July 2014, 22 were perpetrated by police officers.