By Lady Marie Dela Torre
MANILA, Feb. 9 (PNA) — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on Monday it would proceed with its independent investigation on the aspect of human rights violations in connection with the violent incident that happened in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.
In a press conference in Quezon City, CHR Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales said the CHR team will continue working with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Regional Human Rights Commission (ARMM-RHRC) to ensure that the results of the investigation shall conform with the internationally accepted standards in human rights monitoring.
The CHR and the ARMM-RHRC concluded a scoping mission to Cotabato City and Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Feb. 3 to 5 which “established facts that engender a prima facie belief that violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been violated.”
Rosales said the CHR would be proceeding with the independent investigation in partnership with the ARMM Regional Human Rights Commission chaired by Atty. Algamar Latiph, together with Atty. Abdulnasser Badrudin, head of the RHRC Maguindanao Provincial Office.
She assured that there would be “no political or personal considerations” when delivering their joint report and recommendations set to be released within 90 days from the Mamasapano incident, or on or before April 25.
“Political difference, as well as electoral posturing, must not distract them from the task ordained by the sacrificed of the 44 brave heroes and the needless deaths of the others in Mamasapano,” Rosales said.
“The operational lapses, or the question of command responsibility, even the issues of political or private gain, these are all specific issues that are subsumed by the broader consideration: ‘was the death of 44 police officers, 18 MILF or BIFF fighters and five civilians – 67 casualties in all – morally justified or acceptable under universally agreed standards?’ If not, who should be held accountable, and what policies or parameters should change in order to prevent this from happening again?,” Rosales said.
“The death of Zulfipli bin Hir, alias Marwan, by a substantial measure, brings a sense of closure to the families of the victims. Indeed, the CHR joins the nation in breathing a sigh of relief in that a global terror suspect, a man capable of widespread and wanton destruction, is gone. But this is not enough. The joint CHR-RHRC investigation seeks to uncover the different pathways to truth, justice and peace. I therefore ask the Filipino people to actively support it,” Rosales stressed. (PNA)