Panahon na para manindigan ang mga manggagamot laban sa Tortyur, lalo na ang mga manggagamot sa hanay ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas lalo na ng Pambansang Kapulisan.

Mabigat ang papel na gagampanan ng mga manggagamot sa hanay ng kapulisan at kasundaluhan lalo na ngayon na mayroon ng batas laban sa tortyur. Ang RA 9745, ang bagong batas laban sa tortyur ay nananawagan ng masusing dokomentasyon para sa mga pinaghihinalaang kaso ng tortyur. Hindi na sapat ang dating ginagawa ng mga medico-legal practitioners ng SOCO at NBI na dokumentasyon at pagkategorya ng mga kapansanan bunga ng pananakit o pagmamalupit. Dapat na nilang tawaging TORTYUR ang TORTYUR, hindi na slight, less serious o serious physical injuries atbp.

United Against Torture Coalition (UATC) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

The recent series of publicized incidents have revealed that the use of Torture is prevalent in the Philippines. They have also shown that the Filipino public does not tolerate such excesses by the ones who are entrusted to protect the security of the people. The public outrage, the response of institutions of state security forces and statements of condemnation from various sectors of society indicate that government is now receptive to the reform proposals that civil society groups have long called for.

In the wake of the atrocious acts of torture perpetrated against Lenin Salas, Rodwin Tala, Jose Gomez, Daniel Navarro and Jerry Simbulan in Pampanga on August 3 and the victim of Torture, Enforced Disappearance and Extra Judicial Execution shown severely suffering on the Manila Torture Scandal at the precinct station on Asuncion Street, Tondo on the 3rd of March, the United Against Torture Coalition and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates now put forward the most important considerations for the Aquino administration in the steps it should take to stamp out torture and other excesses by state security forces in the Philippines. It has become clear that these are not isolated incidents but are indicative of the serious need to internalize the human rights culture in the security forces as called for by the chief executive himself.

As President Benigno Aquino III prepares to deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), rights groups challenged him to seriously pursue “zero human rights violations” during his term.

According to Max De Mesa, Chairperson of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), PNoy “should put human rights at the heart of his governance” and adopt policies that will put a stop to killings and forced disappearances of militants and journalists.

Meanwhile, Teody Navea of the NGO-PO Network for ESC Rights also stressed that the PNoy administration should also give equal importance to economic, social, and cultural rights particularly food, housing, education, work, and health.

PAHRA condemns the continuing actions of the accused Ampatuans and the insensitive collaboration of government security officials to perpetuate the impunity committed in the heinous massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan, Maguindanao last November 23, 2009.

Conducting a press conference in the detention facility, riding in a private vehicle for a check-up, having a party while in detention, attempting to bribe and harassing witnesses – all are incremental acts with the same objective of perpetuating impunity. Even earlier, the then OIC Secretary of Justice Agra attempted to delist on the flimsy grounds two Ampatuans from those who were charged in relation to the massacre.