PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan. (File photo)
MANILA – The data-sharing agreement entered into by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will help boost the government's move to investigate cases of extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
“Well, that's good. Actually, DOJ and the CHR are our partners in law enforcement. DOJ helps us with all the cases that we filed, documents etcetera. (CHR) helps us in the procedures on how we do the operations that's why any kind of idea with departments would be very good for us. They are there to help us. We will evaluate that (memorandum of agreement),” PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan told reporters.
Cascolan made the remark in response to the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by the DOJ and CHR to further strengthen Administrative Order No. 35 (AO 35) which created an inter-agency committee on EJKs, enforced disappearances, torture, and other grave violations on the right to life, liberty, and security of persons.
Cascolan, however, maintained that there is no proof that EJKs were perpetrated by the police, and even told critics to come to him to ask for investigation on such cases.
"First, if you have that notion come to me, we will investigate. Number two, there is no such thing as EJK. Everything, the people in the PNP has actually fought it hard to really reduce illegal drugs and it's survival for our people (and) it's not only the criminals who are being killed here. There are a lot of PNP officers who already died. Some are even PNP officers, many of them are still young but they do their job because they are passionate enough to stop or rid this country of illegal drugs,” he said.
On September 2, Undersecretary Markk Perete and CHR Commissioner Leah Tanodra-Armamento signed the agreement in a virtual ceremony, aimed at facilitating the investigation and case build-up that lead to prosecution in cases within AO 35’s mandate.
The data-sharing agreement includes sharing of investigation reports in AO 35 cases, promotion of closer cooperation, evidence gathering and prosecution, security measures, and privacy policies governing data sharing with consideration of the interests of victims and complainants.
The agreement will facilitate DOJ and CHR collaboration in bringing perpetrators to justice.
AO 35 serves as the state's mechanism dedicated to resolving cases of political violence such as EJKs, enforced disappearances, and torture, among other similar grave human rights violations. (PNA)
