‘The AFP Values Human Rights’

Bulatlat.com asked Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, the spokesman of the AFP, for his reaction to the allegation that human-rights violations have been increasing. He emailed the following reply:

The AFP in its conduct of counter-insurgency operations has long realized the value of giving instruction to its officers and men on the subject of Human Rights and International Law. For many years, advocacy seminars on Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law have been a part of the curricula of career courses that military personnel have to attend in different service training institutions.

In consonance with the Department of National Defense Order No. A-117 dated 12 September 1988, the AFP Human Rights Desk was created at GHQ to increase awareness in the AFP of the four (4) basic human rights concerns:

Economic Rights

Social-Cultural Rights

Political Rights, And

Civil Rights As Stated In The Philippine Constitution

In order to properly implement this order, the AFP Human Rights Desk was given the following functions:             

Assist in the formulation of plans, policies and guidelines on all human rights programs of the AFP.

Monitor and supervise the conduct of human rights awareness campaign and other human rights concerns in the AFP.

Monitor human rights violations and other human rights-related cases in the AFP, and 

The AFP Human Rights Desk covers the following areas:                                                   

Human Rights Awareness Campaign

Human Rights Violations Monitoring, And

Human Rights Inter-Agency Coordination With Concerned Government And Non-Government Offices  

The Armed Forces of the Philippines received reports of alleged various Human Rights Violations (HRVs) committed by its members. In the light of this reality, the AFP leadership took the initiative in establishing control measures and safeguard mechanisms to prevent the occurrence of human rights violations by its personnel. Among them is the active effort of the AFP in disseminating and implementing memorandum orders and AFP guidelines such as:                                           

Memorandum Order No 259

Requiring Human Rights Education And Training Of Law Enforcement, Police, Military And Prison Personnel                                                             

Memorandum Of Agreement On National Inter-Agency Chamber Of Human Rights  

AFP Guidelines In Handling And Treatment Of Children Involved In Armed 

Regular Conduct Of Troop Information And Education

The AFP likewise implemented the following programs:               

Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law have been incorporated into the basic and advance courses being undertaken by the officers and enlisted personnel. This is basically a classroom interaction on the human rights and international humanitarian law that have been conducted since 1992.

At present, more than 200 advocacy and trainors training had been jointly conducted by the AFP, International Committee of the Red Cross, Philippine National Red Cross and Commission on Human Rights in various AFP units.

The AFP had already published and promulgated an instructional guide on IHL or Law of Armed Conflict (LoAC). This manual was circulated in 1996 and it provided guidance and direction in teaching modules on international humanitarian law and law of armed conflict for trainors/faculty/staff/students throughout the AFP.                                      

The AFP and CHR jointly conduct trainors training for selected AFP officers. The objective of which is to develop a pool of AFP instructors so that human rights advocacy courses can be conducted within the AFP nationwide. 

Issuance of various circulars, directives, policies, and SOP’s to effectively devolve among the members of the AFP the need to strictly observe and protect human rights.    

Included in the AFP Rules of Engagement for Internal Security Operations which states:  “Regardless of the situation, human rights of both the victims and the perpetrators should be observed at all times”.   

During Combat Operations, a portion of the operations plan specifically highlights the requirement on the observance of the respect for human rights. The following are concerns which are strictly required from operating troops:

Always establish the proper authority in initiating combat operations.

For commanders, find time to speak to your men before sending them out. Re-iterate to them your unequivocal stand that they should observe human rights and that you will never tolerate any violation.

For commanders, do not treat civilians in the operational area as insurgents or suspect. Demand that your men will do the same.

Do not be a burden to the civilian populace, always bringing your own unit’s provisions whenever you go out in the field. In most rural communities, foodstuff is scare and the populace will deeply resent government troops that would impose to provide them with food.

Do not use civilians from villages as guides. If you have problems in finding directions, avoid using civilians, particularly children, woman or the elderly as guides.

Do not prohibit, interrupt or disband peaceful meeting in the community. It is the people’s exercise of peaceful assembly and no one should be hindered to attend such lawful meeting.

Do not block the entry of food, health and order support services to civilian communities as a way to defeat the insurgents. The civilian populace will protest against any form of control over the resources that are intended for their community.

Do not disrupt or dislocate the source of livelihood of the members of the community.

The areas involved in an armed conflict should be carefully identified and residents of those areas that are not directly affected should be allowed to go on with their normal lives in order that their source of livelihood will not be affected.

On the allegations that the AFP adopts a “take-no prisoner” policy, this is totally a propaganda aimed at maligning the image of the AFP. In a recent encounter in Sison, Surigao del Norte, on June 24, 2003, four (4) NPAs who were wounded in that encounter were all brought to the hospital by operating troops.

Likewise, a certain Jelin Dayong, a former NPA member from Cagayan de Oro, was given a scholarship of the AFP after she was caught during an encounter with government troops in Northern Mindanao. These are just two examples which belie these allegations of Karapatan whose aim is to destroy the image of the AFP. However, the AFP joins the crusade with Karapatan for making our people aware of their individual rights. Bulatlat.com

Related article: Rise in Human-Rights Abuses Alarms Advocates

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