Chiz condemns culture
of impunity in the military
By Office of Senator Chiz Escudero
March 22, 2011
PASAY CITY – “How
can we call for an end to the culture of impunity among our government
agents dealing with people in government custody when they also do it
to their very own men?” Senator Chiz Escudero asked.
Escudero posed this
question after the so-called torture video found its way to the net,
showing men in uniform beating up a group of recruits with sticks and
ropes. In the video, the trainees, obviously in excruciating pain,
could be heard in screaming.
According to Escudero,
chairman of both the committees on justice and human rights and the
national defense and security in the Senate, this clearly calls for
reforms on moral and ethical trainings in the military and police.
“This culture of
impunity does not make a loyal, disciplined, obedient and fierce
soldier. The recruits undergo training, and rigorous it should be for
them, but the design should be geared toward molding their characters
into warriors who can follow lawful orders. The training showed they
are being to become fierce animals without reasons.” Escudero said.
Escudero stressed that
such acts had no place in a civil and democratic society like ours and
was clearly a violation of the anti-torture law the senator sponsored
in the Senate.
“The law was crafted
precisely to stop the culture of impunity which has been found
prevalent not only in government institutions nowadays but also in
facilities on the other side of government. It is a law that should
uphold every aspect of human rights,” he said.
Escudero challenged
the present military leadership to conduct a thorough review of its
policies and programs to improve the quality of its graduates not only
in terms of their physical training and abilities, but also in terms
of the overall makeup of the soldiers it produces.
“Our military trainers
should bear in mind that discipline is not acquired only through
physical and mental stress. The primary training that should be
instilled in the trainees’ minds is the privileged position they are
in for having the duty and honor to serve their country and their
people” Escudero said.