Women’s rights group scores appointment of woman police general to HR claims board

By TANGGOL BAYI
February 18, 2014

QUEZON CITY – Women rights group Tanggol Bayi criticized the recent appointment of Gen. Lina Sarmiento of the Philippine National Police as chair of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board that shall process the recognition and reparation of Martial Law victims.

"The appointment of a police general, one from an institution which has systematically spawned rights violations including numerous sexual forms of violence against women since the Martial Law period, is an affront to Filipinos and all victims of human rights abuses," said Kiri Dalena, Tanggol Bayi convenor.

Dalena said that during the Marcos regime, thousands of women were killed, disappeared, tortured, raped, illegally arrested, and detained by the Philippine Constabulary and other government apparatuses to quell the resistance of the Filipino people against the dictatorship.

"These human rights violations are continued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. During the Arroyo administration, when Sarmiento was part of the PNP Human Rights Office, 152 women were women victims of extrajudicial killing, 31 women were disappeared, while 290 women were illegally arrested and detained," said Cristina Palabay, Tanggol Bayi co-convenor.

Under the Noynoy Aquino administration, human rights group Karapatan documented 18 victims of extrajudicial killing, 3 cases of rape of girls, and 33 women political prisoners who were likewise victims of illegal arrests and fabricated charges.

Palabay added that with Sarmiento's appointment, “Pres. Aquino is using a female police official to deodorize stinking institutions with notorious records of human rights abuses.”

"We decry Aquino's use of the gender card to justify the appointment of a police general to a body that is supposed to deliver justice to women victims of Martial Law. While it is important to promote the substantive and democratic participation of women in all political processes, the appointment of Sarmiento does not, at all accounts, indicate that the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged Filipino women who suffered and struggled during the Martial Law period will attain justice, with a representative of their oppressors at the helm of the claims body," Palabay said.

Tanggol Bayi likewise scored Malacanang's disregard for its women nominees to the claims board, who are publicly known for their "deep and thorough understanding and knowledge of human rights and involvement in efforts against human rights violations" and "clear and adequate understanding and commitment to human rights protection, promotion and advocacy." These are minimum qualifications needed for claims board members under the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.