Police records decline in human rights cases despite war on drugs

March 29, 2017

The Philippine National Police (PNP) recorded a decline in human rights cases filed against its personnel since 2014.

“In 2014, there are 174 personnel who have human rights cases, in 2015 it went to 131, in 2016 105, so there is a downward trend on personnel involved in human rights violations,” Chief Supt. Dennis Siervo, director of the PNP-Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) told reporters in Camp Crame Wednesday.

Siervo emphasized this downtrend amidst criticism of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“If you think the war on illegal drugs will escalate the number of human rights violations, the statistics show it did not,” he said.

Siervo noted that cases in 2016 when the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte began include homicide and illegal arbitrary detention.

He noted that records about  human right cases of policemen were provided by the  Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management and Internal Affairs Service.

“Our office does not have the mandate to conduct investigation. We are only on awareness and preventive side. There is an office specifically mandated in PNP which is DIDM and IAS. After internal investigations are conducted, we ask for the reports based on their findings then we submit recommendations,” Siervo said.

“If found guilty, then we will recommend (to) the Commission on Human Rights the filing of human rights violations,” he added.

Siervo said they have recorded a total of 56 human rights cases filed against police personnel for the current year.

Although the figures reached more than 50 in just less than three months, Siervo refused to give his prediction as the current year is not finished.

“I cannot predict that this will rise or this will fall…. Maybe my office will have to step up our drive on how to prevent occurrence of such violations,” he said.

He said 56 human rights cases include homicide and unlawful arrests. Robina Asido/DMS