MANILA – Ibinasura ni Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año nitong Martes ang ulat na inilabas ng US State Department na sangkot ang Philippine security forces sa mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao.
“The DILG denounces the US State Department’s 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices released recently on the alleged abuses by security forces in the Philippines as the Report is sweeping, rhetorical, and unfounded,” aniya.
Ayon kay Año, ang ulat ng US ay “pag-uulit lamang ng mga hindi matibay na akusasyon laban sa mga pwersang panseguridad ng Pilipinas na maluwag na kinuha mula sa tradisyonal at social media”, na naglalarawan ng napakalungkot na larawan ng sitwasyon ng kapayapaan at kaayusan ng bansa na ngayon ay tinanggal mula sa mga katotohanan.
“The operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) down to the grassroots level have led to dramatic improvement of the general peace and security situation in the country since 2016. Therefore, the report belittles the hard work and sacrifice of the men and women of the PNP and the AFP who have been risking their lives to fulfill their sworn duty to fight criminality and illegal drugs,” nabanggit niya.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, kinuwestiyon din ni Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ang ulat ng US State Department.
“We question the (US) State Department’s report of abuses by security forces. But since the State Department seems so sure of its facts, we challenge it to provide us with details so our Commission on Human Rights, a constitutional and independent body, can verify them, and if proven accurate, the perpetrators will be punished,” wika niya.
Kung wala ang mga datos na ito, sinabi ni Lorenzana na ang mga akusasyong ito ay walang iba kundi mga innuendo at witch hunts.
“At worst, the (US) State Department has become a gullible victim of black propaganda. And if I may add, the AFP was voted as one of the most trusted agencies of the government recently. Surely it did not earn this by abusing, torturing, and killing people,” dagdag niya.
Samantala, tinugon ni PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos ang mga panawagan ni Lorenzana at sinabing ang US State Department ay dapat magpakita ng ebidensya para suportahan ang ulat nito.
“Those are allegations. What we are telling you is what we have in the PNP. You counter that. It’s just a statement. For us, we always look at how we can help develop. If the intention is good, you can present it in such a way that it would be constructive,” dagdag niya.
Ayon sa US State Department 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, nakakuha ito ng “kapanipaniwalang” impormasyon tungkol sa mga diumano’y mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao na ginawa ng mga pwersang panseguridad ng Pilipinas.
Iniulat ng US State Department ang diumano’y “maraming” pang-aabuso sa karapatang pantao na ginawa “ng at sa ngalan ng (Philippine) gobyerno at mga non-state actors.”
Kabilang sa mga sinasabing “makabuluhang” isyu sa karapatang pantao sa bansa ang labag sa batas o arbitraryong pagpatay, mga ulat ng sapilitang pagkawala, tortyur, malupit at nagbabanta sa buhay na mga kondisyon ng bilangguan, at arbitraryong pagkulong.
