MSQRT holds its 1st National Assembly in Manila

By EMY C. BONIFACIO, Samar News.com
September 25, 2010

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  The three organized Muti-Sectoral Quick Reaction Teams (MSQRTs) coming from Luzon and the Visayas converged at the Madison Plaza, Astoria Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center, Pasig City in Manila for a two-day training workshop on Quick Reaction Mechanisms last September 19-20. The activity, which was jointly initiated by the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) and EU-Philippines Justice Support Programme (EPJUST), was relative to the establishment of MSQRTs in the countryside where cases of Extra-Legal Killings (ELKs) and Enforced Disappearances (EDs) are apparently high or alarming.

The Multi-Sectoral Quick Reaction Team (MSQRT) is a one stop shop service group, composed of both the government and private agencies, that is committed to give a quick response or immediate assistance to ELK and ED victims. Member institutions are identified to come from the church, non-government organizations, civil society, academe, security forces and government agencies. Under its structure, the primacy of partnership is recognized. Thus, the respective mandates of every institution are respected. Services extended by the MSQRT are mainly victim-oriented rather than perpetrator-oriented, the AHRC explains.

The three formally organized MSQRTs are the “KAUGOP” (MSQRT Leyte); the “ANDUROG KAN DERECHOS” (MSQRT Albay); and “DARANGPAN” (MSQRT Catarman, Northern Samar). Western Samar stakeholders have already signified its commitment to organize its own MSQRT and are now formalizing its protocol for a scheduled launch on October, this year.  Samar MSQRT’s presence in the said training, as an observer, was represented by Samar News.com who is an active partner of the said organization. Likewise, collaborative meetings among stakeholders in Negros Occidental and Surigao del Sur are ongoing and being monitored by the AHRC.

“Kaugop” was launched last April 29, 2010 while the “Darangpan” was simultaneously launched on October 19, 2010 when the “Year of Peace and Justice” was also declared in Northern Samar. The “Andurog Kan Derechos” was formally established on October 2009 and is recognized as a pioneering MSQRT in the Philippines. In fact, it is being credited for finalizing the first protocol that served as a pattern for the succeeding protocols drafted by newly organized MSQRTs.

The session was started by a welcome message and an Overview of the Concept of the MSQRT Project which was delivered by the AHRC Executive Director, Atty. Carlos P. Medina Jr., a newly appointed member of the Truth Commission. On its second day, Training on Psychosocial Assistance was facilitated by Ms. Romina Sta Clara, National Human Rights Key Expert of the EU-Philippines Justice Support Program (EPJUST); Sanctuary, as a related service, was discussed by Mr. Max M. de Mesa, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates; Training and Documentation and Reporting of Cases of ELKs and EDs was comprehensively lectured by Ms. Sunshine Serrano, Program Officer of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and lastly, a brief training on Investigation came from Atty. Robert Alcantara of the Commission on Human Rights. A synthesis and planning culminated the training workshop with Atty Khrisna Gomez, Atty. Patricia Cervantes and Ms. Anna Canilo as training coordinators and facilitators.

The sharing of experiences, issues, concerns and challenges during the sessions resulted to a consensus and commitment by every stakeholder to improve the existing operational mechanisms of the MSQRTs in the different localities. A more efficient and systematic approach in addressing the needs of victims of ELKs and EDs were conceptualized as a result of these deliberations.

However, while the support institutions continually conduct capacity building efforts on various fields of the MSQRT services, a test case has yet to be experienced to determine the MSQRT capability in accomplishing its mission of promoting justice and peace in the society through a multi-sectoral approach.