Police Region 1 Director Chief Supt. Franklin Bucayu stresses the importance of human rights promotion and protection in support of the PNP Integrated Transformation Program.

Beginning in 2008, two program partnerships on human rights were forged – one with the Philippine National Police (PNP) through its Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) for the joint implementation of its Human Rights Development Program and two, for the implementation of the “Community-based Dialogue Sessions on Human Rights Promotion and Protection between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Civil Society Organizations and Local Communities” in cooperation with: Alternative Law Groups (ALG), Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF), PNP-HRAO, Armed Forces of the Philippines-Human Rights Office (AFP-HRO), and the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations (AFP J7).  HSF provides technical and financial assistance in the conduct of human rights training for police officers such as Trainers’ Training activities and deepening seminars on human rights, roll-out/echo seminars, community-based dialogue sessions on human rights promotion and protection, policy fora, research studies as well as the publication/production of training and information materials, operation manuals, among others.

One of the closing ceremonies of a series of training activities designed to develop the competencies among police personnel and mainstreaming human rights-based policing approach

The collaboration with the PNP towards developing human rights competencies among police personnel and mainstreaming human rights-based policing approach in the PNP has created a positive impact in the organization as reflected in the improved performance rating of the PNP in the past two years. Consistent with the PNP’s multi-year reform agenda, of which human rights promotion is one of its key result areas, significant activities on human rights promotion were conducted around the country:  a series of paralegal training which is a rights-based investigation course, training of police human rights trainers, and seminar-workshops for human rights officers, as well as the development and printing of the Human Rights Desk Operations Manual.

A plenary session during a community-based dialogue on the promotion and protection of human rights

For the year 2011, the strengthening of human rights desks nationwide will be given priority through intensive capacity building interventions for more than 1,700 human rights officers, and the development of a job-focused human rights curriculum for three levels, i.e., new recruits, supervisory/mid-level and senior management/top-level officers.  A standard recording and reporting system on specific cases of human rights violations committed by police officers will also be developed and established.  In this project, we are working closely with the academe, among them, the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Human Rights (UP IHR) and UP Law Center, and the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) as well as with the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and members of the Judiciary.

Two years after the implementation of the Community-based Dialogue Sessions on Human Rights Promotion and Protection, twelve (12) dialogue sessions (11 regions & 1 province) had already been organized by the project.  After these dialogue sessions, follow-through activities were initiated by the dialogue sessions participants in their respective areas, with the support of other stakeholders such as Local Government Units (LGUs) and church-based organizations.  In addition to the dialogue sessions, the project has also organized inter-region Training and Planning Sessions. Human rights week fora were likewise conducted to share the results of the dialogue sessions.  

Members of the civil society organizations dialogues with the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Starting in the year 2011, the project’s general direction shall focus on the institutionalization of collaboration between the security forces and civilians in the promotion and protection of human rights, not to mention the continuing conduct of Dialogue Sessions in the remaining regions of the country, and joint Training/Sharing/Planning Workshops; support for follow-through activities in project areas; and continuing coordination, monitoring and documentation of project activities and results. A Project Information material is being finalized to enhance information sharing about the project and is due for dissemination early 2011.