Cordial greetings to the dedicated team of Balay Rehabilitation Center and the members of the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC) as you organize for the "Basta Run Against Torture" in your torture prevention campaign in support of victims of torture.

The use of torture must cease to be commonplace. Freedom from torture, not free to torture!

Torture continues to be routinely practiced in the Philippines despite the country having been a state party to the UN Convention Against Torture, the fact that the 1987 Philippine Constitution explicitly prohibits the use of torture and the enactment of the Anti-Torture Act of 2009. A handful of small organizations have since the time of Marcos dictatorship been documenting cases of this abhorrent practice and with them effectively brought to light that the state, as the overarching institution of authority, has fallen short in exercising the political will needed to abate its use in law enforcement and military operations. Nevertheless, the cases these groups have been able to document are but the tip of the iceberg. Innumerable individuals, mostly coming from the poorer sections of Philippine society are victimized by this human rights violation everyday in the name of crime prevention or political stability. The two common kinds of torture victim, the suspected criminal and the person who seeks change by expressing dissent, undergo horrific life-changing ordeals because shortcutting their responsibilities has become prescriptive amongst state security forces and law enforcers. Torture of course persists because poverty and other social ills remain unresolved by the primary duty bearer – the state. After all, civil and political rights violations are mere manifestations of the social injustices, in human rights parlance defined as economic, social and cultural rights violations. To provide examples, the root cause of torture of a suspected pickpocket and a social activist demanding change is the same, widespread abject poverty. It is safe to assume that the social and economic disparity has alienated our police and military public servants from the ensuring safety of common citizens. Therefore systemic change in their practice must become a high priority in this administration.

Good morning to all runners and participants in this BASTA Run Against Torture 5!

Thank you all for joining this activity in commemoration of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26! Congratulations to everyone for braving the rains in order to get our message across: FREEDOM FROM TORTURE, NOT FREE TO TORTURE! Greetings to the contingents and representatives of the different participating organizations – the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and of course, our very own Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Greetings!

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is one with the different government agencies and civil society organizations in the observance of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. It is noteworthy, that our efforts in promoting and protecting human rights continue to gain ground as our IPSP [Internal Peace and Security Plan] "BAYANIHAN" is now in full throttle.