The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) remains committed to observing human rights.

This, as the military joined the launch of the 2021 National Human Rights Consciousness Week which kicked off at Diokno Park, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Wednesday.

“The AFP is one with the CHR and every human rights champion worldwide in advancing and defending human rights principles. This is both our obligation and commitment to every Filipino,” AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict (CLOAC) chief Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro S. Nacnac said in a statement Thursday.

The National Human Rights Consciousness Week is commemorated every Dec. 4 to 10 pursuant to Republic Act 9201.

International Human Rights Day is celebrated every Dec. 10, since 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He also shared with the participants the CLOAC’s accomplishments, one of which is the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the AFP and the CHR earlier this year.

This MOU forges more collaboration and cooperation on the part of the advocacy and protection of human rights; it contains areas of concern such as training, advocacies, data sharing as well as dialogues.

Nacnac also emphasized the continued monitoring and subsequent submission of a report on over 1,600 cases of human rights violations committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

This report was filed for notice to the CHR and other agencies such as the Presidential Human Rights Committee, the International Committee on the Red Cross, and the Department of Justice, among others, for their investigation and appropriate filing of cases.

Nacnac also reported that the CLOAC has been reviewing and auditing the cases, as part of the mechanism under the Administrative Order Number 35, which created the Inter-Agency Committee On Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty, and Security of Persons.

“As the agency mandated to protect the people and the state, it is our inherent and primary advocacy to preserve and uphold human rights. We enjoin every Filipino soldier in this week-long moment of celebration and introspection,” he also said. (PNA)