Human Rights-Based Policing Forum

May 22, 2013, Multi-Purpose Hall, Camp Crame, Quezon City

The focus of the forum laid on the newest developments within the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO), in partnership with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, in support of its Human Rights-Based Policing Project guided by the PANTHER Principles[i]. The activity was attended by various government and non-government agencies like the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the PNP and AFP Officers, also human rights groups like the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International Philippines (AIPh), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Balay Rehabilitation Center, Medical Action Group (MAG) and others as well as international organizations like the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and the German Ambassador to the Philippines Dr. Joachim Heidorn.

The first part of the forum covered the presentation of the PNP Guidebook on human rights based-policing and the presentation and simulation of the Computer Aided Learning and Inventory of Comprehension and Knowledge of Human Rights (CLICK-HR). It was then followed by a plenary session that aimed to clarify any questions, comments and invite possible improvements to the CLICK-HR project.   

This kind of forum or gathering showed that steps were made to improve the knowledge of human rights principles towards police officers and gather all the concerned stakeholders to uphold and protect human rights.

PNP star officers were awarded trophies and plaques of excellence for their accomplishment and service for the institution. Furthermore, PNP HRAO awarded a plaque of appreciation to the Medical Action Group for the successful conduct of the six-wave-Training of Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Officers for Effective Investigation and Increased Prosecution Using Medical Evidence from January to March 2013, in partnership with the DOJ and PNP and funded by the British Embassy Manila. The training aimed to enhance the capabilities and strengthened cooperation and coordination among government and non-government agencies in the campaign against torture.

Bibliography

FAO (2013): Human Right principles: PANTHER. http://www.fao.org/righttofood/about-right-to-food/human-right-principles-panther/en/. May. 30, 2013.

Ragase, Melvin O., NUP (2013, March): PNP, DOJ and MAG conduct six nationwide joint trainings for Prosecutors and Investigators.  Police Digest, News, P3.