AFP to hold first human rights summit

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and civil society groups will hold a two-day symposium in October to discuss policies and initiatives to uphold human rights.

Speaking to reporters, AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, Jr. said representatives of state agencies, human rights groups and academicians will be invited to attend the event.

 “It (human rights summit) will be the first of its kind and it will be hosted by the Armed Forces. Even cause-oriented groups will be invited,” he said.

Burgos said the event will be held in cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), non-government organizations Alternative Law Groups, Inc., Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, and German group Hanns Seidel Foundation.

“We want to instill the protection of human rights among our soldiers,” he said.

The military will also publish in October the final version of the AFP human rights handbook, Burgos said.

Meanwhile, military officials met yesterday with representatives of CHR, non-government organizations and the academe to discuss the military’s security operations.

The meeting in Camp Aguinaldo sought to identify the problems encountered in maintaining peace and development and what the civil society can do to address them.

It was attended by CHR chair Loretta Rosales and representatives from the Philippine National Police, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International Campaign, Bagong Henerasyon party-list, and Center for Peace Education.