Importance of Human Rights To Law Enforcement

policing is at the heart of a broad spectrum of human rights discourses. This has been
apparent for many of those working on civil and political rights who have generally
targeted police as human rights violators. However, policing also has a direct relevance
to economic, social and cultural rights. Police can and should play an important role in
ensuring a safe environment in which individuals can seek to realize their full range of
rights — be they social and economic or civil and political.

PNP Vision

Imploring the aid of the Almighty, by year 2030, we shall be a highly capable, effective
and credible police service working in partnership with a responsible community
towards the attainment of a safer place to live work and do business.

PNP Core Values

Service, Honor, and Justice

PNP Motto

We Serve and Protect

PNP Mission

To enforce the law, to prevent and control crimes, to maintain peace and order, and to
ensure public safety and internal security with the active support of the community.

The human rights framework protects civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
But no matter what kind of right is at issue, there are basic principles that are always
part of human riqhts standards and implementation. These principles include:

The (10) international Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement

Basic Standard 1:

Everyone is entitled to equal protection of the law, without discrimination on any

grounds, and especially against violence or threat.
Be especially vigilant to protect potentially vulnerable groups such as children, the
elderly, women, refugees, displaced persons and members of minority groups.

For the implementation of Basic Standard 1 it is of great importance that police officers
at all times fulfill the duty imposed on them by law, by serving the community and
protecting all persons against illegal acts, consistent with the high degree of
responsibility required by their profession. They must promote and protect human
dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights Of all people.

Basic Standard 2:

Treat all victims of crime with compassion and respect, and in particular protect their
safety and privacy. Victims are people who have suffered harm, including mental and
physical injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their
fundamental rights through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal law.

Basic Standard 3:

Do not use force except when strictly necessary and to the minimum extent required
under the circumstances.

The implementation of Basic Standard 3 involves, among other things, that Police
officers, in carrying out their duty, should apply non-violent means as far as possible
before resorting to the use of force. They may use force only if other means remain
ineffective.

Basic Standard 4:

Avoid using force when policing unlawful but non-violent assemblies. When dispersing
violent assemblies, use force only to the minimum extent necessary.

Everyone is allowed to participate in peaceful assemblies, whether political or non-

political, subject only to very limited restrictions imposed in conformity with the law and
which are necessary in a democratic society to protect such interests as public order
and public health.
Basic Standard 5:

Lethal force should not be used except when strictly unavoidable in order to protect your
life or the lives of others. Maybe use only in the following situation:

Self-defense, Defense of a stranger or a family and In the petformance of a lawful duty

(PNP Police Operational Procedures 2013)

Basic Standard 6:

Arrest no person unless there are legal grounds to do so, and the arrest is carried out in
accordance with lawful arrest procedures

To make sure that an arrest is lawful and not arbitrary, nor delay, it is important that the
reasons for the arrest and the powers and identity of arresting officers are known

Basic Standard 7:

Ensure all detainees have access promptly after to their family and legal representative
and to any necessary

Compliance with RA 9745 or the Anti-torture act and Rights of a person under custodial
investigation should be properly observed (RA 7438).

Basic Standard 8:

All detainees must be treated humanely. Do not inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of
torture or ill-treatment, in any circumstances, and refuse to obey any order to do so.

Basic Standard 9:

Do not carry out, order or cover up extrajudicial killings or „enforced disappearances",

and refuse to obey any order to do so.

No one should be arbitrarily or indiscriminately deprived of life. An extrajudicial killing is

an unlawful and deliberate killing carried out by, or on the order of, someone at some
level of government, whether national, state or local, or with their acquiescence.
Basic Standard 10:

Report all breaches of these Basic Standards to your senior officer and to the office of
the public prosecutor. Do everything within your power to ensure steps are taken to
investigate these breaches. All violations of human rights by the police or other law
enforcement personnel, including any breaches of these Basic Standards, should be
investigated fully, promptly and independently,