Perpetrators of the brutal dispersal of indigenous people’s rally must be held accountable

Perpetrators of the brutal dispersal of indigenous people’s rally must be held accountable

A Statement of the International Coalition on Human Rights in the Philippines – Canada 

The International Coalition on Human Rights – Canada condemns in the strongest terms the brutal police attacks on the people who were rallying at the United States embassy in Manila on October 19, 2016. Protestors were demanding the withdrawal of US troops from the Philippines. Most of the rally participants and many of the 50 injured were indigenous peoples from across the country who gathered in Manila to bring attention to the continuing militarization in their communities and human rights violations committed against them.

Videos of the horrific incident showing police officer, Franklin Kho, plowing his vehicle through the crowd plainly show his intent to cause injuries to the protestors. Similarly, the other officers shown beating people who were already leaving the area evidently intended to cause them harm. These are criminal acts and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

In his early days, President Rodrigo Duterte instructed the police to exercise maximum tolerance for protest rallies,recognizing the basic right of citizens to express dissent. The barbaric attacks committed by the police against the protestors on October 19 were in blatant defiance of the President’s policy.

Furthermore, the violent dispersal of the protest is a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. We strongly support the Peace Talks between the GRP and NDFP to find a just and lasting solution to the 47 year armed conflict. We are deeply concerned that the peace talks could be jeopardized by police policy and actions that continue to violate human rights such as what happened on October 19.

We welcome the decision of Philippine National Police Director General, General Ronaldde la Rosa, to relieve Officer Franklin Kho, Colonel Marcelino Pedrozos who reportedly ordered the violent dispersal and the other officers who committed violent actions during the incident. In order to prevent future police brutality against citizens exercising their right to protest, we call on General de la Rosa and President Duterte to take further step, namely, ensure that the investigation into the incident is impartial, thorough and fair, prosecute the perpetrators of the brutality committed against the protestors and bring them to justice.

rthermore, we respectfully call on the President to address the grievances of the Lumad and indigenous peoples about the continuing military operations in their communities. We urge the President to ensure that militarytroops withdraw from their villages and stop the attacks on their communities.

(PRESS RELEASE)