UN experts urge Philippines to tackle “chronic” prison
overcrowding
GENEVA (3 June 2015) – The UN’s torture prevention body
has urged the Philippines to deal urgently with prison overcrowding and improve
independent monitoring of places of
detention as part of efforts to protect people deprived of their liberty
against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The call came at the end of the first visit to the
Philippines by the Sub-Committee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT), when the
six member delegation presented its confidential preliminary observations to
the Filipino authorities.
“We hope, and expect, that the Government of the
Philippines will use our report to improve the conditions of people deprived of
their liberty, in particular by dealing with the chronic problem of
overcrowding in places of detention. We encourage
the Government to find solutions to overcrowding as a priority,” said Suzanne
Jabbour, who headed the SPT delegation.
The SPT also highlighted the importance of the
Philippines enacting a law to establish an effective national independent
monitoring body, known as a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) as soon as
possible this year,
“We believe that an effective, independent and
well-resourced National Preventive Mechanism will be crucial to prevent torture
and ill-treatment and to improve conditions of detention through a system of
regular visits,” said Ms. Jabbour. She
noted that the Philippines, to meet its treaty obligations, should have set up
such an NPM by April 2013 and encouraged the Government to move swiftly to
establish such a body this year.
Among the places the experts visited during their 10 days
in the Philippines were police stations, pre-trial facilities, prisons, a
juvenile rehabilitation centre, correctional institute for women and a
psychiatric hospital. Members of the
delegation carried out private and confidential interviews with law enforcement
officials, medical staff and persons deprived of their liberty. The SPT delegation met the relevant
authorities, including the Senate, the House of Representatives, members of
government departments, and civil society representatives.
Following the visit, the SPT will submit a confidential
report to the Government of the Philippines, containing its observations and
recommendations on prevention of torture and ill-treatment of persons deprived
of their liberty. As with all other
States, the SPT is encouraging the Philippines to make this report public.
The SPT delegation was composed of Suzanne Jabbour, Arman
Danielyan, Marija Definis-Gojanovic, Lorevan González Pinto, Milos Jankovic,
and Aneta Stanchevska.
ENDS
For media requests, please contact: Suzanne Jabbour
(available until 5pm Manila time) suzijab@hotmail.com + 961 76 776 678,
For more information, in Geneva: Liz Throssell, +41 (0)
22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org
BACKGROUND
The SPT’s role is to prevent torture, cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment and punishment of detainees and it has a mandate to visit
all States that are parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against
Torture (OPCAT).
For the SPT, the key to preventing torture and
ill-treatment lies in building constructive relations with the State concerned,
and its guiding principles are co-operation and confidentiality.
The Optional Protocol on the Prevention of Torture has to
date been ratified by 78 countries. The
SPT communicates its recommendations and observations to the State by means of
a confidential report, and if necessary to National Preventive Mechanisms.
However, State parties are encouraged to request that the SPT makes these
reports public.
More about the SPT:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/OPCAT/Pages/OPCATIndex.aspx
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