A House leader on 14 August filed a bill requiring the presence of a Commission on Human Rights (CHR) representative in police operations in the government’s anti-drug campaign.
House Bill 1011, House Deputy Minority Leader Bernadette Herrera said, aims to create an inter-agency task force (IATF) to safely embed CHR agents within the anti-drug operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“This aims to ensure the protection of human rights of drug suspects, as well ensuring that police officers conduct themselves in a proper manner so as not to subject themselves to situations that would have them liable for violations of human rights,” Herrera pointed out.
“CHR agents will be tasked to properly document police activities during anti-drug operations, for the mutual protection of the accused personalities and the police officers, and to ensure that the anti-drug war adheres to the Philippines’ obligations on the protection of human rights,” she added.
The PNP, on the other hand, deferred to comment on the matter.
“We advocate for transparency. As government employees, we are accountable to the people. But note that the legislative process takes some time,” PNP spokesoerson PBrig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba told the Daily Tribune.
“The filing of a bill does not necessarily mean it will become a law. In the course of crafting the law, there will be consultations where the PNP is likely to be invited. The PNP would like to defer from further commenting on this matter at this time since the proposed measure is still on its early stage,” Alba said in a Viber message.