PRO 7 hits Amnesty Int’l for tagging cops as top human rights violators

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 described the report of Amnesty International Philippines (AIP), which named the police as top human rights violators in Central Visayas, as unacceptable, unfair, and baseless.

Supt. Reyman Tolentin, PRO 7 spokesperson, said that the police are not sleeping on the cases and are always in danger because of the nature of their job.

“The police have human rights, too. Aside from being unacceptable, it’s unfair because there is no basis and why don’t they ask how many police died in anti-illegal drug operations? How many police were wounded? So they should include that if they are going to criticize us and tag us as top human rights violators,” said Tolentin.

Tolentin said that there were already 10 police officers who have given their lives in the call of duty and 15 other police officers who were wounded in Central Visayas.

Tolentin, however, said that AIP report did not demoralize the police force in Central Visayas.

“It does not really affect us. We are also inspired by the troops who already given their lives in call of duty. Their lives shouldn’t be in vain because we will really continue amidst the claims of other people na human rights violators kami,” he said.

In its report, AIP focused on policies of the Duterte administration on the anti-drug war.

The group said that the campaign already has “spiraled into deliberate, unlawful, and widespread human rights violations.”

“Law enforcement officials are duty bound to respect rights, not only in implementing national policies, such as Oplan Tokhang, but in all their actions to actively protect human rights against abuse,” the AIP said. /