PNP chief vows sanctions on rights violations

PNP chief Nicanor Bartolome

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome on Monday reiterated his “strict adherence” to the observance of human rights and vowed punitive measures against police officers found to have committed violations.

Reacting to the US Department of State Annual Human Rights Report on the Philippines, which cited accusations of torture and bribery against PNP personnel, Bartolome reminded the 140,000-strong police force to comply with Letters of Instruction “Pamana.”

Pamana, which literally means inheritance, serves as the PNP’s blueprint for human rights-based policing among its officers.

“We are not denying that there are some erring police officers accused of unlawful activities, hence, we are not tolerating such illegal actions in this respectable organization,” Bartolome said in a statement. DJ Yap