MANILA: Hundreds of police in the Philippines will start wearing body cameras during operations, it police chief said on Friday, heeding demands from human rights groups for accountability after thousands of killings and allegations of cover-ups.
The announcement came after public outrage over the fatal shooting on Monday of a woman by an off-duty policeman, which led to condemnation from activists who say police brutality has become systematic under President Rodrigo Duterte and his bloody war on drugs.
The shooting of Lilibeth Valdez, 52, was recorded on a mobile phone and shared on social media.
Policeman Hensie Zinampan was seen in the video pulling Valdez’s hair before he shot her in the neck. Administrative and criminal charges have been filed against him.
The Commission on Human Rights said it was investigating the killing.
Valdez was laid to rest at a ceremony on Friday.
Philippine police have been accused of executing suspects then staging crime scenes and fabricating reports, emboldened by what activists say is a culture of impunity under Duterte. Police and government reject that.
Police chief Guillermo Eleazar said to combat police abuses and erase doubts about the legitimacy of operations, more than 600 officers would be using body-worn cameras on Friday.
In a statement Eleazar also said the cameras were a tribute “to the policemen whose ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty were tainted by claims of extra-judicial killings, planting of evidence and other unfair allegations.”
Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the killing of Valdez underscored the need for police body cameras.
“The case shows that police accountability may only be possible if the crime is caught on camera,” said Conde.
“While cameras alone won’t stop police abuses, they bring a measure of transparency during police operations.”
Philippine police to wear body cameras after calls for scrutiny grow
https://arab.news/m99hh
Philippine police to wear body cameras after calls for scrutiny grow
- The announcement follows public outrage over the fatal shooting of a woman by an off-duty policeman
- The shooting of Lilibeth Valdez, 52, was recorded on a mobile phone and shared on social media
Venezuela advances amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
- Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States
CARACAS: Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the US military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
