Balay conducts study session on torture screening and reporting in North Cotabato

Members of  civil society organizations in conflict-affected areas in North Cotabato in Mindanao participated in  a study session on torture documentation and reporting organized by the Balay Rehabilitation Center on July 27, 2016.

Twenty-five people who belong to a network of faith-based groups, community associations, and humanitarian organizations engaged in civilian protection in eight security-challenged municipalities attended the  activity.  

The leaning event was held in the town of Midsayap with the support of the North Cotabato Composite Team (NCCT), a network  formed by Balay and its partners to assist in the monitoring and provision of  humanitarian support to civilians displaced by or at-risk of being harmed by armed violence and natural hazards.

Balay was prompted to organize the learning session following a case of torture in Midsayap that was documented by its field workers and community-based volunteers in June 2016. The first-contact documenters interviewed the victims, took pictures and obtained a copy of the medical report that supported  the narrative of  the victims. 

Acting on the report of the field documenters, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) sent its special investigator to gather more information to build up the cases  against the alleged perpetrators.

The CHR supported the learning session through its Regional Director, Atty. Erlan Deluvio, who provided inputs on the Anti-Torture Law and introduced the programs and services of the commission.  He assured  the participants that once reports reached the CHR, they would  send investigators to gather facts and other pieces of evidence that could be used to seek justice or rehabilitation assistance for the victims.

The head of the Legal and Investigation Office of the Regional Human Rights Commission of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Mr. Abdillah Alik,  also attended the activity. He encouraged  the participants to refer torture cases and other incident of human rights violations  to his office so that they could attend to them as well.

Balay program coordinator,  Kaloy Anasarias, said that it is quite important to widen the network of first-contact documenters in order to monitor and promptly respond to  reports of torture and other human rights violations in places where professional investigators are not readily available.  He added that many incidents of torture are hardly verified because agencies mandated to properly inquire on those cases are unaware that torture has been taking place in  communities vulnerable to social  violence, anti-terrorist operations, and other hard to reach places.

The participants discussed basic concepts and some essential elements in producing a good documentation report regarding torture cases. The  resource persons presented the common physical and psychological effects of torture and introduced a practical documentation tool that the participants may use in noting down relevant information during their  inquiries.  Tips on interviewing torture victims and in reducing the risk of harassments to field workers were covered in the study session as well.