Lacson explains military, police psyche behind enforced disappearances

From Rappler (Dec 23): Lacson explains military, police psyche behind enforced disappearances

The newly enacted law against enforced disappearance is needed to regulate “eager and frustrated” law enforcers, said former police chief Sen. Panfilo Lacson Sunday. “It goes both ways. We should regulate what law enforcement agencies are doing. Kasi kung larga lang nang larga, at walang ganitong batas, alam nilang makaligtas sila. So, mainam na i-regulate ng gobyerno at ipagbawal ang specific acts, na kung saan alam nila na may karampatang parusa (Otherwise, they will just do as they please. Without this law, they will go free. That’s why it is good we have this government regulation that prohibits specific acts and which specifies appropriate penalties),” Lacson said in a radio interview over DzBB.

President Benigno Aquino III recently signed into law the Anti-Enforced Disappearances Act of 2012, the first of its kind in Asia. Republic Act 10350 criminalizes the practice of “enforced or involuntary disappearance," defined in the law as “the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty committed by government authorities or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of such persons in authority, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person which places such person outside the protection of the law.”

Lacson, who himself as police chief was accused of human rights violations, as in the Kuratong Baleleng summary killings, said political activists are the most common victims of enforced disappearances, which in turn are triggered by eagerness and frustration of law enforcers.

“May nangyayari nang ganyan, iyong mga over eager na law enforcement units and personalities. Minsan kasi out of frustration, alam nilang involved na involed ang tao, at nasa order of battle, pero hindi naman makakalap ng enough evidence to stand in court. Pero, alam nila perwisyong ginagawa ng personalities na iyon, so minsan, nagre-resort sa ganoong mga bagay na hindi naman tinotolerate under our laws.

“Things like that happen, with over eager law enforcement units and personalities. Sometimes out of frustration, when they know that the person is really involved and in the order of battle, but cannot get enough evidence that could stand in court. Sometimes they know the mess that these personalities create, that’s why they resort to these actions that are not tolerated by our laws,” he said, explaining the psyche of some guilty police officers.

Lacson compared the new law to the Anti-Hazing Act, which effectively lowered its incidence – although not totally eradicated – in universities and the Philippine Military Academy.
He noted that the practice of kidnapping political activists is common in countries like the Philippines which have insurgency problems. He said law enforcers take this risk in order to get more information. But Lacson said there is no substitute for real, honest-to-goodness intelligence work.

“Maraming dahilan eh, iyong naman out of frustration, at iyong iba naman parang eager sila mapadali na trabahong tamad iyon. Dapat you validate your intelligence report out of sheer intelligence work, talagang pagtitiyagaan mo, naka-stake out ka, binabantayan mo ang quarry mo. Pero ang iba siguro may pressure, may deadline nagre-resort na lang, ito ang ating target, siguro kunin na lamang natin ito at bahala na sa bandang huli.

“There are so many reasons why it happens, some out of frustration, others are simply eager to finish their job. But that’s a lazy person’s job. Your intelligence report must be validated out of sheer intelligence work. You really have to persevere, in stakeout, guard your quarry. But others may give in to pressure, especially if they have a deadline, and think, ‘there’s our target, let’s just grab him and let’s just see what happens later.”

Sometimes, those who have access to a list also leak out the list of those in the order of battle in order to get even.

“May order of battle na may corresponding warrant, pero still hindi naman puwedeng ilahad iyon sa media gawa ng parang you telegraph the message ng military and PNP, so ang nangyayari dito, it was leak deliberately para ilagay sa bad image ang isang tao.

“There’s an order of battle of people with corresponding warrants, but you can’t divulge to the media because it would be like telegraphing the military and the police’s message. So what happens here is the list is deliberately leaked to put a specific person in a bad light.”

Lacson added that most enforced disappearances happened under martial rule when the military had all the powers.

“Continuing practice iyan eh, hindi naman nawawala eh. Pero, sabihin na lamang natin, na pinakatalamak iyan sa panahon ng martial law kasi nagkaroon, doon lumakas ang power ng military at tingin nila masyado silang parang impregnable ang kanilang institusiyon, na hindi pupuwedeng, parang nawala ang test of vulnerability kaya lumakas ang loob dahil martial law.

“It’s a continuing practice that never goes away. But let’s just say that it was done mostly during martial law when the military was really powerful and they saw themselves as impregnable and that’s when they had the temerity to do these things,” he said.

While many have disappeared under martial law, a number of people also disappeared during the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Among the most celebrated ones were those of Jonas Burgos, son of freedom icon and newspaperman Joe Burgos, and the co-eds from the University of the Philippines Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/51093/lacson-explains-military-police-psyche-behind-enforced-disappearances