Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Where should this case be tried?

The Philippine military is investigating rape charges against three soldiers. According to this article:
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will probe allegations that soldiers raped a Lumad minor in Davao del Norte and stressed that it does not tolerate human rights violations within its ranks. 
Lt. Col. Alfredo Patarata, acting chief of the Army Human Rights Office, said three soldiers are now being investigated and have been placed under the custody of an Army division in Mindanao pending the results of the probe. 
“The Philippine Army will not tolerate its erring personnel, especially those who will violate the human rights regardless of rank and position,” Patarata said in a statement.

“We are now conducting a special investigation on the three Army soldiers involved in the alleged sexual offense on a Lumad minor in Talaingod, Davao del Norte,” he added. 
The Army withheld the identities of the three soldiers citing “due process.” 
“Even it is still an allegation, we take it seriously,” Patarata said.

“Our adherence to human rights, international humanitarian law, and the rule of law is an imperative to the success of our current campaign,” the Army official added.
Should human rights violations by military personnel be investigated by the military or by civilian law enforcement authorities?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments are subject to moderation and must be submitted under your real name. Anonymous comments will not be posted (even though the form seems to permit them).