10 June 2017
PRESS STATEMENT
Statement of the Commission on Human Rights
on the use of airstrikes and the humanitarian condition in Marawi City
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) appeals to the Philippine government to consider calls to cease employing airstrikes in the besieged city of Marawi. This is in consonance with the call of church, local leaders, and other sectors to prevent further damage to lives and properties in the affected communities.
While the Commission supports the government’s efforts to impose peace and order in the said city, the military must take every precaution to avoid harming civilians and civilian objects. The airstrikes have not only caused the destruction of buildings and civilian property, but, worse, have resulted in the killing of innocent civilians, including children, and even our own troops. The airstrikes are a major factor in the internal displacement of civilians within the area and local residents are reporting that members of the criminal Maute band are now engaged in the ransacking of their abandoned homes.
The Commission likewise urges all concerned agencies, particularly local government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development—both the national and regional agency, to ensure that civilians have adequate space, food, potable water, sanitation facilities, and waste management in the evacuation areas, with special protection given to children, pregnant women, elderly, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
At the same time, we commend the efforts of the peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for brokering a humanitarian ceasefire that allowed for the safe passage and rescue of some 130 civilians, as well as the pool of volunteers who were part of this charitable initiative.
The Commission believes that, in times of conflict and violence, the State must always ensure to limit the effects of armed conflict, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors. It is in this principle that we also extend recognition to Senate Bill No. 1474 or the “Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act,” which further stresses the need to protect and promote the rights of children in times of armed conflict by declaring them as “zones of peace,” as also embodied in Republic Act No. 7610 (“Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act”) and Republic Act No. 9851 (“Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity). The proposed bill details specific measures that the State shall take to prevent the recruitment, re-recruitment, use, or displacement of children involved in such contexts, as well as steps for comprehensive support for the children’s rehabilitation and reintegration.
In the midst of the implementation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao, the CHR, as an independent and impartial constitutional body, shall, in close coordination with various line agencies under the Executive branch of government, continue to monitor the situation on the ground and zealously exercise its mandate in ensuring the protection of the constitutional and human rights of all citizens. ###
Contact Person:
Atty. Jacqueline Ann C. de Guia
Direcor, Public Affairs and Strategic Communication Office
Telephone No: (02) 928-5792 / 09175919833
Email address: comms.chr@gmail.com