PNP Eastern Visayas holds human rights seminar

PALO, Leyte, Feb. 7 (PNA) –- The Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here held a seminar on human rights principles for policemen on Tuesday.

Chief Supt. Dennis Arce Siervo, chief of PNP-Human Rights Affairs Office, led the group of resource speakers on Human-Rights Policing seminar attended by hundreds of police officers in the region at the Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Campetic village here.

“The PNP and government agencies can be more effective given the challenges they faced every day if we sustain efforts to promote human-rights based policing within the organization,” Siervo said.

Police Eastern Visayas Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said despite PNP’s internal cleansing efforts and the government’s intensified war against criminality, there are those who see the PNP as an “adversary.”

“We have to bear in mind that as law enforcement officials, we shall at all times respect and obey the law and respect the principles of legality, necessity, non-discrimination, proportionality and humanity,” Beltejar told the police.

Aside from policemen, other participants are members of civil society organizations, non-government organizations, journalists, Philippine Army, Commission on Human Rights, local government officials, and representatives from other national government agencies. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ/EGR