Hontiveros questions military, police SOPs amid ‘trigger happy’ officers

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday questioned the standard operating procedures of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as the Senate justice panel investigated the recent spate of unlawful killings in the country.

“Bunot ng baril kaagad ba ang sagot sa mga tao? Hindi man lamang nila mahanapan ng paraan para kausapin? Hindi kaya masyado nang trigger happy?” Hontiveros said in a statement.

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Hontiveros, who co-authored one of the Senate resolutions seeking an investigation into such killings, said that while the law allows uniformed personnel to use force to defend themselves, violence should only be used as a last resort.

“Is the Step 1 in our Operating Procedure just: open fire, no questions asked? Parang ang mura ng buhay ng tao kung ganon na lang tayo kabilis bumunot at magpaputok ng baril,” she said.

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The senator then cited incidents, which she said involved the PNP and the AFP’s “questionable use of force.”

Among them the killing of senior citizens Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay, who were shot in their home by police officers in Angono, Rizal.

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She also pointed to the killing of journalist Ronnie Villamor, who was shot by soldiers in a military checkpoint in Milagros, Masbate.

“Ibig sabihin ba nito, kahit isang buong arresting team na ang dala ng mga pulis, hindi pa rin nila kinayang arestuhin ang dalawang sakitin na senior citizen? Kahit sa mga dumadaan lang sa checkpoint, dahas rin agad ang paraan ng negosasyon?” Hontiveros went on.

She then urged both the PNP and AFP to formulate more intensive de-escalation training for their personnel to prevent such violent incidents.

“I would like to believe that an overwhelming majority of our uniformed personnel are committed to their mandate to protect their fellow Filipinos. But it seems that our police and military personnel would really benefit from a thorough de-escalation training,” she said,

“They need to be able to better handle tense situations without the use of violence, especially in dealing with ordinary civilians,” she added.

The de-escalation training program, according to Hontiveros will complement other reforms to the PNP and AFP such as wider human rights education and the faster disposition of cases involving abuse or violence by uniformed personnel.

“Hopefully, such reforms will transform the AFP and the PNP so that these killings will become a thing of the past,” the senator said. Zac Sarao, Trainee