US: RP among ‘worst’ HR abusers’

Human rights abuses in the Philippines pervade and the police and the military are the "worst abusers."

This was among the findings presented in the Country Report on Human Rights for the Philippines for year 2002, published recently by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

"The government generally respected the human rights of citizens, however, there were serious problems in some areas," the report said.

Some elements of the security services, it cited, were responsible for arbitrary and unlawful disappearances and torture as well as arbitrary arrest and detention. Physical abuse of suspects and detainees as well as police and judicial corruption also remained.

The report said that police and local government leaders at times appeared to "sanction extra-judicial killings and vigilantism to fight crime and terrorism."

"Despite efforts by reformist leaders in the executive, legislative and the judiciary to strengthen the rule of law and the protection of human rights, a fundamental and pervasive weakness left citizens with the belief that official justice is beyond reach," the report continued.

Presenting findings and cases filed with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), it described the police as the "worst abusers of human rights."

The State Department pointed out that CHR suspected members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be the perpetrators of 27 percent of human rights violations. Government forces were also believed responsible for disappearances.

The cases also showed that some local military and police forces harass human rights activists, while violence against women and abuse of children continued to be problems.

"Discrimination against Muslims persisted, while implementation of laws providing for workers’ rights was not always effective," the report further stressed.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said he was already informed about the report and would give his comments today.