Senator Robin Padilla wants the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to look into whether there was a violation of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s policy to respect human rights during its operation on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) in Davao City last June 10.
Padilla filed Senate Resolution 1051, directing the said committee to investigate “in aid of legislation” whether there was “unnecessary and excessive force” in the operation.
“There is a need for the PNP to promote and protect human rights because these very acts are vital to the maintenance of public order, guarantee of public safety, and respect for the rule of law.”
“There is a need for the PNP to promote and protect human rights because these very acts are vital to the maintenance of public order, guarantee of public safety, and respect for the rule of law,” the legislator said in his resolution.
“Records bear several instances in the past when the PNP was called out for its use of excessive force in the service of its warrants,” the lawmaker added.
The senator reiterated that no less than Art. II Sec. 4 of the 1987 Constitution “imposes upon the Government the primary duty to serve and protect the people” while Art. II Sec. 11 of the Constitution “is a recognition of the State’s high regard to the dignity of every person with a guarantee of full respect for human rights”.
Also, he said the PNP adopted a Human Rights-Based Policing (HRBP) policy, whose guidebook stresses that “the first level of its human rights obligations is to respect human rights by refraining from interfering with the enjoyment of people’s rights”.
“When PNP operatives raided the KOJC premises including the Prayer and Glory Mountains to serve arrest warrants on KOJC founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and five others, some missionaries were reportedly hurt during the ensuing tension.”
Yet, Padilla cited reports that when PNP operatives including those from the Special Action Force (SAF) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the KOJC premises including the Prayer and Glory Mountains – supposedly to serve arrest warrants on KOJC founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and five others – some missionaries were reportedly hurt during the ensuing tension.
“The Revised PNP Operational Procedures dictates that, in the lawful performance of duty, only necessary and reasonable force, should be used to accomplish the task of enforcing the law and maintaining peace and order,” he noted.
