Rights group to Albayalde: Show commitment to human rights by ending alleged police abuses

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde should demonstrate his commitment to human rights and rule of law by addressing alleged police involvement in drug war killings and other abuses.

This was the message of Human Rights watch to the country’s top cop, urging him to permit independent probes into these alleged abuses and ensure that all cops responsible for extrajudicial killings and other crimes will be held accountable.

“Director General Albayalde’s fundamental challenge is to transform the Philippine National Police from deadly predators to genuine protectors of public safety and rule of law,” Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director, said Thursday (Manila time).

He added: “Albayalde should demonstrate that he’s serious about ‘respect for human rights’ by stopping summary killings by police and bringing those responsible to justice.”

The rights group also called on the PNP chief to address the scourge of “riding-in-tandem” killings.

Albayalde replaced Ronald Dela Rosa, whose term as PNP chief was heavily criticized for the spate of extrajudicial killings in the conduct of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, last April.

Less than a month after his appointment, the former Manila’s top cop emphasized that respect for human rights must be foremost in the police’s campaign against drugs.

“The rules of engagement are paramount in every police operation and respect for human rights is one of them,” he said.

READ: Human rights important in drug war – PNP chief

HRW earlier lauded Albayalde for ending the practice of presenting suspects before the media but emphasized that such move will be viewed as “cynical, self-serving window dressing” if the police force will not end abuses.

According to the latest government data, there were 4,279 alleged drug dealers and users killed from July 1, 2016. This is significantly lower than the estimates of rights groups of more than 12,000 suspected drug personalities.

Kine stressed that the Philippines needs a “professional, rights-respecting police force now more than ever.”

“Albayalde has a clear choice: ignore murderous abuses by the Philippine National Police or take decisive action to challenge its culture of impunity and begin restoring public trust in the law enforcement,” the HRW executive said.