PNP to work with CHR to ensure lawful arrests

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will work with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to ensure that civil liberties are protected during police operations, a PNP official said.

Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said they will implement the order of PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III to address perceptions that there is an adversarial relationship between the police force and the CHR.

Fajardo said that the PNP will seek to build an active partnership with the CHR.

She said Torre is scheduled to pay a courtesy call today at the CHR to personally explain a recent pronouncement wherein he said the number of arrests made by police officers will form part of a performance evaluation.

Under the partnership, the PNP says the CHR is welcome to join police teams carrying out arrests, to observe and evaluate any infractions on human rights by law enforcers.

Fajardo said that there has been an apparent negative interpretation by the CHR of Torre’s statement.

“This time around we will have a good relation with the CHR,” she said in Filipino yesterday on dzBB.

Fajardo hopes improved relations with the CHR will address apprehensions regarding the issue of increased arrests by the PNP.

She said that the PNP, while wanting to increase anti-criminality activities, also wants to put a stop to perceptions of “police vigilantism” or resorting to extrajudicial killings, which was a hallmark of the bloody war on drugs during the previous administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now jailed in the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

Fajardo said that addressing this police vigilantism will encourage people to run to the PNP for assistance or for any public security concerns.

She pointed out that President Marcos had earlier ordered the PNP to boost their police visibility and police response to show people that government services are being delivered to them.

Fajardo said that the partnership with the CHR will be nationwide in scope, since the CHR has a presence all over the country with their regional field offices.