The 4th leg of a series of regional seminar for PNP Human Rights Officers (HROs) nationwide was completed for Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) on April 14-15, 2011 held at the Agricultural Training Institute, Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet. This is part of the existing project cooperation between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany (HSF).

Sixty-two (62) HROs attended the 2-day seminar representing the regional headquarters, all six (6) Police Provincial Offices (Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mt. Province) and one City Police Office (Baguio City) in the region, which included the participation of thirteen (13) Chiefs of Police (COPs) who are concurrently HROs and fifteen (15) female police officers (24%). It was a good mix of officer and non-officers with 30 Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 32 Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs) with the rank of Police Officer 1 to Police Chief Inspector.

The Opening Ceremony was graced by the presence of Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Officer-in-Charge, Atty. Harold Kub-aron as Guest of Honor and Speaker and high-ranking PNP officers led by Chief Supt. Clarence Guinto, Chief of the Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) NHQ who delivered the Welcome Remarks and Sr. Supt. Edwin Soria, Regional Chief of Investigation and Detective Management who led the Presentation of Participants.

Chief Supt. Guinto welcomed all the participants - Human Rights Officers (HROs) - from the region and thanked them for attending the seminar as well as acknowledged the leadership of PROCOR and the Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany (HSF) for their support in the implementation of the human rights program of the PNP. He noted the importance of the seminar, with the promotion of human rights being one of the Eight Foundation Initiatives (EFIs) of the PNP Chief, Police Director General Raul Bacalzo.

Atty. Kub-aron emphasized the essential role played by the police in the protection of human rights, adding that policing and human rights are inter-related, hence the concept of rights-based policing. He articulated that human rights-compliant policing should start with the selection of the right people to become police officers, and proper training. He opined “any effort undertaken to improve police respect for human rights should include making a fair analysis of their own situation”.

Various manuals and information materials were turned over to PROCOR and received by Sr. Supt. Soria including posters on the Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained and Under Custodial Investigation, “PNP Guidebook on Human Rights-based Policing”, “Know Your Rights: A Citizen’s Primer on Law Enforcement”, “Human Rights Desk Operations Manual”, “Miranda Doctrine” pocket cards, and pocket cards on “Basic Rules of Law Enforcement”.

All the participants prepared their individual plan of action on human rights promotion for their respective units or areas of jurisdiction for 2011 based on available or existing local resources.

During the Closing Ceremony, two of the participants shared their positive impressions of the seminar–well organized, informative and useful in their work as human rights officers. Police Sr. Supt. Marvin Bolabola, Regional Chief of Directorial Staff and Ms. M. Co, HSF Sr. Program Specialist graced the Closing Program. Sr. Supt. Bolabola mentioned that human rights promotion is one of the Eight Foundation Initiatives of the PNP Chief, Police Director General Raul Bacalzo, thus, he encouraged the participants to cascade to their colleagues the knowledge and insights they have gained during the 2-day seminar on human rights. He reminded them that respect for human rights should be the primordial concern of every policeman. Ms. Co thanked the participants for their participation in the seminar, and cited the sincerity and cooperation of the PNP leadership in pursuit of the promotion of human rights within the PNP. She shared her expectations from and the feedback from the communities for the members of the PNP.

Finally, Sr. Supt. Bolabola and Ms. Co handed out the Certificates of Attendance to the participants.