NO MORE PRESENTTION OF ARRESTED SUSPECTS/JUNE 11, 2018: P/Chief Supt. Debold Sinas gestures as he meet the press last June 11, 2018 in Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. General Sinas has announced that as of response to the order from Camp Crame, PRO7 will no longer present arrested crime suspects to media as order by PNP chief Director general Oscar Albayalde in respect to human rights.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
IN RESPONSE to the order from Camp Crame, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) will no longer present crime suspects to the media.
PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said they have to follow orders from the headquarters of the Philippine National police (PNP).
“Kun ingon adto ang polisiya sa Crame, so dili na namo i-parade (these crime suspects),” said Sinas.
(If that is the policy of Crame, we will no longer parade these crime suspects).
But Sinas said that they will not prohibit media from interviewing the suspects to get their side.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde decided to no longer present crime suspects as their way of respecting their human rights especially because suspects are not yet convicted of any crime.
Albayalde said in a press conference in Camp Crame that this is in adherence to a long standing policy of the PNP.
Albayalde was referring to the memorandum issued by former PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa in 2008 stopping the practice of parading suspects before the media.
The memorandum stated that “suspects arrested for any violation of the law shall in no case be presented in a ‘firing line’ to the media”.
Sought for comment, Commission on Human Rights Regional Director Arvin Ordon told Cebu Daily News that the pronouncement of Albayalde is a realization on the part of PNP of the policy advisory issued by the CHR.
“Reminding the State, particularly the PNP of its obligation to respect the rights of persons accused of committing a crime,” Odron told Cebu Daily News.
Odron said the 1987 Constitution guarantees the commitment of the State to value the dignity of all human persons and guarantees full respect for human rights.
Arnold Bustamante, a broadcast journalist and president of the police beat reporters group said he didn’t have any problem with the policy because media has not been prohibited from interviewing the suspects.
“Ang gidili ra man kanang ibutang sa luyo sa mga police ang mga dinakpan … ila ra sad gisunod ang sugyot sa Commission on Human Rights,” Bustamante said in a statement sent to CDN.
(What is prohibited is for suspects to be placed at the back of the policemen during press conferences. The police are just heeding the request of the Commission on Human Rights)