Current Events in Human Rights

Two human rights-related issues are receiving special attention in the Philippines right now. The first is the passage of the Anti-Torture Act last week, which outlaws any form of torture or use of secret detention centers. The second story is the appointment of Norberto Gonzales as National Security Advisor.

Both of these are related to the on-going accusations of torture, extra-judicial killings, and harassment by military and police. The Anti-Torture Act will not only apply to future cases of torture, but it will also allow for the prosecution of past offenders, which is estimated to be around 1,000 cases. The appointment of Gonzales is controversial because of his previous role as head of the defense department, which is accused of being linked to human rights violations perpetrated by the military and police. He's also being questioned about how impartial he can be in the up-coming elections. Although he has stated that he'll ensure that elections will be run fairly, referring to Presidential candidate Teodoro as "our incoming president" doesn't inspire a lot of confidence...