and reparation to all the victims remained slow. There were concerns that the armed forces continued to fail to co-operate with the judiciary and that some cases were Republic of the Philippines closed as the judges ruled that the crimes Head of state and government: Benigno S. Aquino had prescribed. III

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS In January, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Torture continued with impunity in the Lima, the capital, closed the cases of over Philippines. Human rights defenders, 2,000 Indigenous and campesino women local journalists and witnesses in the who were allegedly forcibly sterilized in the massacre trials, the world’s . After an investigation, which started largest single attack on journalists in 2004 and lasted nearly 10 years, the committed in 2009, remained at risk Prosecutor only filed charges against some of unlawful killing. The Philippines health professionals allegedly responsible acknowledged state accountability in one of the cases. No charges were filed for human rights violations during the against any of the government authorities Martial Law under the Marcos regime and responsible for implementing the family established a Human Rights Victims’ Claims planning programme, which resulted in these Board to determine the eligibility of claims sterilizations. for human rights violations and award In June, the Ministry of Health adopted reparations. The Supreme Court upheld the technical guidelines for therapeutic abortion. constitutionality of the Reproductive Health There were concerns that the restrictive Law in April. interpretation of therapeutic abortion in the protocol may lead women to seek unsafe and BACKGROUND illegal terminations because the two access The Philippine government in March signed conditions required - presence and signature a comprehensive peace agreement with the of a witness and approval of a board - were armed group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, considered obstructive. concluding 17 years of peace negotiations. Abortion in cases of pregnancy resulting The peace accord created the autonomous from rape or incest remained criminalized region, providing greater and the free distribution of emergency political autonomy in southern Philippines contraceptives, including in cases of sexual in exchange for a commitment to end the abuse, continued to be banned. At the end insurgency and calls for a separate state. of the year, a draft law to legalize abortion for The Philippines continued its claim over victims of rape, backed by 60,000 signatures, the against , , was waiting to be discussed in Congress. , and , submitting a memorandum before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas in March and protesting against China’s actions in the Spratlys in May and November. A visit by US President Barack Obama in April culminated in the signing of an Enhanced Defence Co-operation Agreement, further allowing US military troops to use Philippine military bases.

294 Amnesty International Report 2014/15 In early December, half a million people committed and in July recommended the were evacuated in advance of Typhoon filing of a criminal complaint. Hagupit and 27 casualties were reported. The Senate opened an enquiry into police torture the day after Amnesty International TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT launched its report “Above the Law: Police Torture and other ill-treatment remained torture in the Philippines” on 4 December. rife and appeared to be routine during interrogations in some police stations.1 ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES Torture methods included severe beating as Concerns remained over the government’s well as electric shocks, mock executions, commitment to ending enforced waterboarding, near-asphyxiation with plastic disappearances following its failure to ratify bags, and rape. the International Convention for the Protection Among those most at risk were criminal of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. suspects and repeat offenders, including In February, the CHR announced that juvenile offenders, informal police auxiliaries it would enter into a Memorandum of (known locally as “assets”), suspected Agreement with the Department of Interior members or sympathizers of armed and Local Government, the Department groups and political activists. Most torture of National Defense and the Department victims were from poor and marginalized of Justice on the implementation of the backgrounds. In 2014, the Commission Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) Act of 2012 which criminalized enforced reported that it recorded 75 cases of torture disappearances. In August, the National in 2013, and 28 cases from January to July Bureau of Investigation arrested retired 2014. The majority of reports of torture cited General in after three police officers as the alleged perpetrators. years in hiding. In 2011, he was charged with Despite its criminalization under the 2009 kidnapping, abduction and “serious illegal Anti-Torture Act, not one perpetrator has been detention” of two women university students. convicted under the Act. In February the Supreme Court upheld In January the CHR exposed a secret the finality of the Court of Appeals ruling detention facility in province, in which identifying a military officer responsible for police officers appeared to be torturing for the abduction and disappearance of Jonas entertainment by using a “roulette wheel” Burgos in 2007, and finding the military on which torture methods were described. accountable for his abduction. Forty-three detainees were found inside the facility. In February the Philippine National IMPUNITY Police (PNP) suspended 10 police officers. Trials in the civil and criminal cases relating Investigations continued, but none were to the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, in convicted at the end of the year. Twenty-three which state-armed militias led by government cases were filed for preliminary investigation officials killed 58 people including 32 media and were pending resolution. workers, were ongoing. However, most of Alfreda Disbarro, a former police informant, the proceedings were bail hearings only. By was apprehended and tortured by police the end of the year, around 85 of the 197 officers in October 2013. In April, the suspects for whom arrest warrants had been PNP Internal Affairs Service conducted an issued remained at large and no convictions investigation into her case; the decision had been handed down. on the administrative case against the Witnesses to the massacre and their perpetrators was pending. The CHR families remained at risk of attacks, including concluded that human rights violations were killings, highlighting a lack of government

Amnesty International Report 2014/15 295 protection. In November, Dennis Sakal and included: prohibiting health practitioners Butch Saudagal, both of whom were due from refusing to provide reproductive health to testify against primary suspects in the services and penalizing them if they did; massacre, were shot by unidentified gunmen requiring all private health facilities, including in Maguindanao province, killing Dennis those owned by religious groups, to provide Sakal. In December, Kagui Akmad Ampatuan, family planning methods, including modern who reportedly convinced these witnesses to contraceptive supplies and procedures; testify for the prosecution, survived a similar allowing minors - including those who already ambush in Maguindanao. have children or have had miscarriages - At least eight witnesses and their family access to birth control without their parents’ members had been killed in similar attacks written consent; and allowing married since November 2009. No one was held individuals to undergo reproductive health accountable for these killings. procedures without their spouse’s consent. The Department of Justice failed to include FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION exceptions to the total ban on abortion in At least three radio broadcasters and the draft criminal code it sent to Congress. one newspaper reporter were killed by Due to the total ban on abortion, clandestine unidentified gunmen in 2014. abortions remained widespread, resulting in In February, the Supreme Court declared unnecessary death and disability of women. major provisions of the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act, including the online libel provision, as constitutional. The Court clarified 1. Above the law: Police torture in the Philippines (ASA 35/007/2014) that only original authors of libellous material www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA35/007/2014/en were covered by the law, excluding those who reacted online to the libellous post.

ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS Attacks by hardline Islamist insurgents opposed to the peace accord between the government and the Moro Islamic Republic of Poland Liberation Front continued. In July, an Head of state: Bronislaw Komorowski attack by Abu Sayyaf in province left Head of government: Ewa Kopacz (replaced Donald 21 people dead. In December, 10 people Tusk in September) were killed and more than 30 injured when a mortar bomb exploded on a public bus in province. Former Polish president has admitted that Poland hosted a secret CIA prison. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The European Court of Human Rights Following a year-long suspension of its ruled against Poland for complicity in CIA implementation, in April the Supreme secret detention and torture. Concerns over Court upheld the Reproductive Health Law protection and fulfilment of sexual and following a legal challenge by various faith- reproductive rights persisted. Poland has not based groups. The law paves the way for ratified the Council of Europe Convention on government funding for modern contraceptive preventing and combating violence against methods and seeks to introduce reproductive women and domestic violence. health and sexuality education in schools. However, the Court’s ruling found eight provisions to be unconstitutional. These

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