Bill on CHR clearance for soldiers, cops 'redundant'

A bill that would require military officers to secure a clearance from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) before getting promoted could be redundant since this has long been the practice at the Armed Forces of the Philippines, an official said yesterday.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, AFP public affairs office chief, said in an interview yesterday that military officers need to secure such clearances from the CHR before being promoted or assigned to a sensitive post.

He said this practice has made military officers more conscious about respecting human rights in the performance of their duties.

Torres added that there had been instances in the past where an officer’s promotion was withheld when the officer failed to secure a clearance from the CHR.

He said this information could come out once the bill – filed by the party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño (Bayan Muna), Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis), and Liza Masa and Luzviminda Ilagan (Gabriela) – reaches the House floor for deliberations.

The proposed bill, if passed into law, would also cover members of the Philippine National Police.

Several military officers have faced charges before civilian courts for alleged human rights violations, particularly the abduction and killing of left-leaning activists.

The AFP has denied any involvement in these cases and claimed it has taken steps to ensure that military personnel strictly observe human rights and adhere to international humanitarian laws.   – James Mananghaya