(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) invited representatives from the Commission on Human Rights to observe protest marches and other rallies that are expected to happen on July 23 during the third State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The directive to invite the CHR came from PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, said National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar.
“The guidance also of the [PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde] is for us to coordinate with the Commission on Human Rights to invite a representative para sumama sa amin doon (to come with us),” Eleazar said in a press briefing.
Eleazar said the PNP is inviting the CHR representatives to be with policemen in their designated command centers, and even in their communications van.
He said the PNP will ask CHR representatives to accompany the task groups they created.
Eleazar said a CHR representative could also join them in their command posts to monitor the situation.
The PNP will create five task groups for each district, seven support task groups and 13 sub security task groups.
The 13 sub security task groups will be headed by the Quezon City Police District and will be deployed from Commonwealth Avenue to the Batasan Pambansa Complex.
The CHR should be there to monitor the situation and see the action of the police and hold them accountable if they see any incidents of human rights violations, Eleazar said.
The NCRPO Director also said that the CHR can also be their ‘unbiased defenders’ if the police would be criticized with “malicious intentions” while performing their duties.
“At least nandoon ‘yung CHR (At least CHR will be there). [They will see] what really happened,” he said.
Eleazar also assured the public that they would exercise maximum tolerance toward the protesters.