trigger warnings: violence, police brutality, death, murder, torture
| DISCLAIMER |
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| This carrd is not a complete guide detailing the cases of police brutality in the Philippines. It is only meant to present notable cases and patterns that date back to Martial Law based on observation. A list of sources will be attached for further information. |
The Philippine National Police has a long history of abuses, dating back to its predecessor, the Philippine Constabulary, during the Martial Law.
Even during the alleged period of democracy after the Marcos Regime, cases of brutality were detected.
Duterte's War on Drugs and the red-tagging of activists are more recent manifestations of the Philippines' alarming policing.
The most recent case, is the death of a 52-year-old woman at the hands of a police officer who claims to be drunk.
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| Sources |
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| ABOVE THE LAW Police Torture in the Philippines. Amnesty International. (n.d.). https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5481a3ca4.pdf. |
| Kine, P. (2020, October 28). Philippines: End Police Abuses. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/27/philippines-end-police-abuses. |
| Miranda, P. (2020, June 11). Our bloody history shows us exactly why we're afraid of the police. NOLISOLI. https://nolisoli.ph/81830/police-brutality-pmiranda-20200611/. |
| Philippines: The police's murderous war on the poor. Amnesty International. (2017, January 31). https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/01/philippines-the-police-murderous-war-on-the-poor/. |
| Rappler. (2017, March 30). TIMELINE: The PNP's use of the term 'deaths under investigation'. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-philippines-pnp-deaths-under-investigation. |
| Salomon, J. (2018, November 15). Philippines: The "torture show". European Institutions Office. https://www.amnesty.eu/news/philippines-the-torture-show00066/. |
| Virtudes, S. (2021, June 1). #PulisAngTerorista trends after cop kills 52-year-old woman. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/pulis-ang-terrorista-netizens-reaction-cop-shoots-woman-quezon-city. |
Contrary to popular belief, the period after martial law and before the war on drugs was not a pristine period of democracy. During this time, the Commission for Human Rights found a secluded detention center in Laguna.
Despite the existence of the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 they found a wheel of fortune used to determine how to torture detainees.
The CHR was able to rescue 43 detainees who revealed that they were usually beaten, electrocuted, and nearly-asphyxiated with plastic bags.
The government tallied 4,279 deaths from July 1, 2016, to May 21, 2018, under police operations. This excludes the number of people killed vigilante-style by unknown gunmen.
They were not only deprived of due process, most of them were also victims of planted evidence and allegations of fighting back or resisting arrest.
The PNP exploits the label of Deaths Under Investigation to allow the killings to persist.
Despite the statement from the International Criminal Court Prosecutor in 2016 and the scrutiny of the international community, only a small number of perpetrators were sent behind bars.
In line with the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, citizens have been harassed, intimidated, detained, and targeted by the police for expressing dissent.
The police also weaponized quarantine protocols to detain protesters without a permit and prevent mass organizing.