Senator Nancy Binay. FILE PHOTO
Senator Nancy Binay has expressed alarm over possible human rights violations in light of the renewed enforcement of curfew, anti-vice and decency laws and ordinances in the country.
“Tinatawagan natin ang pulisya at ang mga national authorities na respetuhin ang karapatang pantao, lalo na ng mga kababaihan at mga bata, sa pagpapatupad nila ng mga ordinansa at mga batas,” Binay said in a statement on Tuesday.
(We are calling on the police and national authorities to respect human rights, especially those of women and children, in their implementation of ordinances and laws.)
“People are being arrested and detained, kasama na ang mga kababaihan at mga kabataan, sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng Metro Manila at buong bansa (including women and youth in different parts of Metro Manila and the country),” she added.
Binay said that violence against women and children remained a serious social concern and should not be ignored.
“Nakakabahala na pwedeng magkaroon ng posibleng paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao, lalo na karapatan ng mga kababaihan at mga kabataan, sa pagpapatupad ng pulis sa mga batas at ordinansa,” she said.
(It is disturbing that there could be possible violations of human rights, especially of women and children, in the enforcement by the police of laws and ordinances.)
While she said she respected police operations as an anti-crime prevention drive, Binay said the human rights of people should not be discounted, considering that those arrested and detained mostly belong to the poverty line.
The senator also expressed fear that arrested minors might be “traumatized” by police operations.
“May mga insidente na pwedeng ma-trauma ang bata tulad ng pagprotekta ng isang ina sa kanyang anak, paninigaw sa mga pulis o sa magulang, o paglaban ng magulang sa mga pulis,” she said.
(There may be instances which could traumatize the child, such as when a mother protects her child, apprehension by police or by parents or confrontation between parents and the police.)
Binay urged the police to step up their information dissemination drives to increase the public’s awareness of their campaigns.
“Kailangan magsagawa ang mga pulis at lokal na otoridad ng mas pinaigting na mga information drives upang malaman ng ating mga kababayan ang mga kampanya nila. Dapat ding silang magkaroon ng refresher training tungkol sa human rights upang maiwasan ang mga posibleng paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao,” she said.
(Police and local authorities must carry out intensive information drives to let our people know about their campaign. They should also undergo refresher training about human rights to prevent possible violation of human rights.)
The senator also called on the Commission on Human Rights to look into the arrests and rounding up of people and be watchful of human rights violations, particularly those of minors.
READ: Rights chair vows to stand up to Rody
“Responsibilidad po ng estado na ipagtanggol ang karapatan ng mga bata laban sa mga anyo ng kapabayaan, pang-aabuso, pagmamalupit, at exploitation, at may mandato ang CHR na mag-imbestiga sa mga paglabag,” Binay added.
(It is the responsibility of the state to defend the rights of the children against any form of neglect, abuse, harm and exploitation, and the CHR is mandated to investigate such violations.) CDG/rga
READ: Cops fan out for RODY