The government is well within its obligation to protect the welfare of its people. However, hamletting as an approach to public safety may result to a number of human rights violations due to the enforced displacement of communities and individuals. Such proposal challenges the people’s constitutional right to liberty and property among others and will inevitably disrupt a community’s cultural life. The International Humanitarian Law, including its local iteration Republic Act No. 9851, prohibits arbitrary deportation or forcible transfer of population or unlawful confinement.

The Commission on Human Rights urges the government to critically study this proposal and establish a strong need to hamlet indigenous peoples, given that we trust that the security forces are capable of addressing threats to our democracy without infringing on human rights, especially of minorities’.