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| Photo by Medical Action Group |
June 26
Declaration on the Fight against Torture Impunity in the Philippines
The undersigned participants of the Forum-Dialogue, “End
Torture in the Philippines” held at the InterContinental Hotel in Makati City,
Philippines on June 26, 2014, International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture have adopted the following:
Considering,
1.
That
torture is one of the most serious violations of human rights; it destroys
dignity, body and mind and has far reaching effect on family and community;
freedom from torture is enshrined in various international human rights
instruments and national laws; and prohibition of torture is absolute and can
never be justified in any circumstance or “non-derogable”;
Bearing in mind,
2. That crime of torture
is committed against men, women and children. In most cases, torture
perpetrators go unpunished;
3. That
impunity is the failure of the authorities to fully investigate violations; to
bring to justice and punish perpetrators; to provide victims with effective
remedies; and to take all necessary steps to prevent the violation to happen
again;
Recognizing,
4.
That Republic
Act No. 9745 otherwise known as the Anti-Torture Law criminalizes torture and
covers various issues relevant to ensuring accountability of perpetrators and
redress for torture survivors including provisions of medical examination,
legal assistance, command responsibility; and rehabilitation for torture victims
and their families;
5.
That
ending torture impunity, all
allegations of torture should be investigated promptly, effectively and
impartially, and that the perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted; and
Declaring,
6.
That strong and active partnership between and among the Civil Society
Organizations, government, diplomatic community and the Commission on Human
Rights are key elements in providing leadership to address the highly
challenging task of ensuring effective and systematic implementation of the
Anti-Torture Law and in ending torture impunity in the Philippines.
Signed on
26th of June 2014 during the commemoration of the International Day
in Support of Victims of Torture.
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