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MAG envisions a society where fundamental human rights are upheld and protected at all times in accordance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

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PRESS RELEASE

August 27, 2010

 

This is the call of the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC)-Philippines on the denial of Senior Inspector Joselito Binayug during a Senate hearing that he was the police officer shown in a video torturing an alleged robbery suspect in a police precinct in Asuncion, Tondo.

The coalition said “while we laud the Senate inquiry on Binayug, we need more than an inquiry”.

Edeliza P. Hernandez, one of the spokespersons of the group and Executive Director of Medical Action Group (MAG) said “we are deeply concerned that torture and ill-treatment committed by the police are seldom investigated and prosecuted and that torturers are either rarely convicted or sentenced to lenient penalties that are not in accordance with the grave nature of their crimes.”

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While it welcomes Malacañang’s order for a speedy probe into the torture row, a human rights group on Saturday called on the Aquino administration to announce a policy of “total elimination" of all acts of torture.

At a press conference in Quezon City, the Medical Action Group (MAG), a health organization working for the promotion and defense of health and human rights, made the call noting there are indications of torture being routinely practiced by authorities against suspected criminals.

In its statement, MAG said “the act of torture of an alleged snatcher inside a police precinct in Manila’s Tondo district sheds light on such “dark practice in the country."

The video footage on the alleged torture incident, which was aired on television and later spread through the Internet video-sharing platform YouTube, has enraged local and international human rights advocates. 

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Press Release

August 18, 2010

 

The Medical Action Group, Inc. (MAG) condemns the inhuman act and degrading punishment recently conducted by a person in authority allegedly a police chief in Manila. This merciless act is just an example on how our government allows torture as a systematic policy in interrogation and punishment. The alleged torture victim was accused of robbery. According to ABS-CBN News, a video was captured by a young man named Emil and he just wanted to reveal the undisclosed activities inside detention cells. Manila Police District Director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay and National Capital Region Police Office Chief Director Leocadio Santiago reviewed the video and pledged to conduct an investigation and summon all persons involved in the incident.

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The last sentence of the last paragraph in our press release dated February 8 entitled "MAG condemns the illegal arrest and detetion of health workers" originally read: "...to release immediately the remaining 12 health rights defenders..." After verifying the information, there were no releases made by the military, thus, all the forty-three (43) arrested health workers are still in their custody.

Our apologies.