The Commission on Human Rights in Negros Oriental has lauded the Philippine National Police in the province for their saying that they are better than their counterparts in other areas in the country.
This year, the CHR has investigated a total of 18 cases, three for abuse of authority committed by barangay officials, two cases for alleged planting of evidence during drug raids, three cases of child abuse, and enforcement of the hospital anti-detention law, said CHR-Negros Oriental Provincial Chief and special investigator Dr. Jesus Cañete.
Of the same period, the CHR recorded only two alleged cases of extrajudicial killings, but this happened in the far flung municipalities, Cañete said Thursday.
According to Cañete, he was invited to the City Council during its regular session Wednesday to shed light on the series of killings here and in other parts of the province.
Cañete said he told the city council that human rights violations in Dumaguete City and the province is very minimal because the police is well versed on the provisions of the law but he admits violations against women and children is somewhat high in local government units within the vicinity of Dumaguete.
The CHR chief said he believes it has contributed in the reduction of human rights cases in the province because it regularly conducts lectures to PNP personnel in the province on the value and respect for human rights.
It would be unfair to imply that the police is responsible for the killings unlike in previous years where a lot of complaints were filed against the army and the police, he said.
Meanwhile, Cañete has observed that something is wrong with the recruitment process of the police because most violators hold the ranks of PO1 to PO3 but this is internal to the PNP.
The best that the CHR can do is to be part of the training format where human rights values are instilled to new recruits. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)