Latest news with #CHR
GMA Network
16 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Torre: Lethal force should be last resort during arrest
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Nicolas Torre III said Monday that lethal force should be the last resort in arresting a criminal. Torre made the statement in his speech during his courtesy visit to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Quezon City. 'Huwag kayong mag-alala yung [sa] sinasabi nating paramihan ng huli. I really don't believe na yan ay maaabuso. Napakalas naman ng loob ng pulis na para lang makahuli ay gagawa ho ng huli. Tapos na ho yun,' Torre said. (Don't worry about what we're saying about increasing the number of arrests. I really don't believe that will be abused. The police are not that desperate to fabricate an arrest. That is a thing of the past.) 'At dito, ang palagi kong ini-emphasize lethal force will only be used as a last resort. Buhay ang tao. Kaya kapag nag-reklamo sa CHR. Yan magkikita-kita tayo,' he added. (And here's what I always emphasize: lethal force will only be used as a last resort. The person is alive. So when you complain to the CHR. We will meet each other there.) Torre cited Article 11 of the Revised Penal Code that covers justifying circumstances and circumstances that exempt from criminal liability. 'Sa aresto, you will take somebody in custody. There is always a possibility that they will fight. So when they fight, papasok ngayon yung Article 11, justifying circumstances, self-defense,' Torre said in an ambush interview. 'Dedepensa ang pulis kung sa kanilang paningin ay endangered sila,' he added. (The police will defend themselves if they are endangered.) The PNP chief was responding to the concerns earlier raised by the CHR regarding his statement that the number of arrests will be a factor in the assessment of police officers. Torre said he will require police officers who conducted warrantless arrest to submit affidavits of arrest, which will be the basis for their promotions. 'Iisa ang proseso sa arrest without warrant. Dadalhin natin sa one document na kailangan para sa inquest which is defined as a summary proceedings conducted by a prosecutor to determine whether a person arrested without a warrant should remain in custody,' he said. (The process for arrest without a warrant is the same. We will take someone to inquest is the number one document needed for an inquest which is defined as a summary proceedings conducted by a prosecutor to determine whether a person arrested without a warrant should remain in custody.) 'Kaya karamihan ng affidavit of arrest ang aking batayan dahil yan ang pinakanakakatakot na trabaho ng pulis,' he added. (So mostly, affidavits of arrest are my basis because that is the most feared job of the police.) According to Torre, if police officers committed a violation or gave a wrong testimony, they will face punishment such as dismissal from the service and suspension from their posts. First courtesy visit by a PNP chief CHR chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc said Torre is the first PNP chief to pay a courtesy visit to the Commission. 'Buong puso naming binabati si Police General Nicolas Torre III sa kanyang panunungkulan bilang bagong chief ng PNP. Welcome po sa CHR. Makasaysayan yung pagdalaw niyo rito. Kauna-unahan ho yatang dumalaw ang Chief PNP sa Komisyon,' he said. (We wholeheartedly congratulate Police General Nicolas Torre III on his post as the new chief of the PNP. Welcome to the CHR. Your visit here is historic. It is the first time that the Chief PNP has visited the Commission.) Palpal-latoc said Torre's visit will improve the coordination between the CHR and PNP. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
NBI files charges against overseas vloggers for fake news
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has initiated legal action against several vloggers based outside the Philippines, accusing them of disseminating false information online. This move is part of the NBI's broader campaign to combat disinformation that undermines public trust and disrupts national discourse. NBI Director Jaime Santiago revealed that the bureau has identified 20 vloggers involved in spreading fake news, particularly targeting government officials and exacerbating political tensions. The NBI is also investigating the financial backers of these disinformation campaigns, suspecting coordinated efforts to destabilize the political landscape. In a related development, the NBI arrested a Cebu-based vlogger who admitted to fabricating content that misrepresented President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s statements. The vlogger altered a news post and inserted fabricated quotes, leading to charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has urged the government to respect freedom of expression while combating fake news. The CHR emphasized the importance of distinguishing between malicious disinformation and legitimate opinion to avoid infringing on constitutional rights. As the NBI continues its crackdown on disinformation, it is collaborating with social media platforms to trace and hold accountable those responsible for spreading false narratives. The bureau's efforts aim to preserve the integrity of information and protect the public from deceptive content.
Telegraph
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Hamas uses ECHR to challenge terror group status
British lawyers acting on behalf of Hamas have submitted a 106-page legal application to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, appealing against the Government's designation of the organisation as terrorists. It claims the ban breaches Hamas supporters' human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights CHR by 'unlawfully restricting' their freedom of speech and rights to protest. It also says it is disproportionate and claims Hamas poses 'no threat to the UK people' and that banning it breaches Britain's obligations under international law to be 'not complicit in a genocide'. In 2021, Dame Priti Patel, then the home secretary, outlawed Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation by adding its political wing. Its military arm, the Qassam Brigades, had been proscribed two decades earlier. The ban made it a criminal offence for anyone to belong to or invite support for Hamas, or wear clothing that could be seen to back the group. The maximum penalty is 14 years in prison. Dame Priti, now the shadow foreign secretary, said the 'evil Iranian-backed' group posed an 'ongoing threat' to the UK's security and peace in the Middle East. 'Those campaigning to end the proscription of Hamas fail to understand the seriousness of the threats and danger this terrorist organisation poses,' she said. 'Eighteen months ago, Hamas carried out the worst terror attack in Israel's history and the most murderous pogrom against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It continues to hold 59 innocent hostages in cruel captivity. Nobody should be in any doubt about the true nature and intentions of Hamas.' The lawyers representing Hamas faced further criticism, with Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, saying: 'It's sickening that a UK law firm thinks there are arguments for their ban to be lifted. It comes as no surprise this firm specialises in immigration cases.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the claim should be dismissed, saying: 'The fact lawyers are seriously arguing our weak human rights laws could be twisted to protect murderous terrorists shows why these laws are no longer fit for purpose. 'Human rights laws should protect our citizens, not foreign criminals and possibly even terrorists.' The appeal, believed to be the first of its kind, is being fronted by Dr Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas's head of international relations and of its legal office. It was submitted by Fahad Ansari, the director of Riverway Law, a practice based in south London that is leading the challenge, and two London-based barristers. One of the barristers, Daniel Grutters, of One Pump Court, represented pro-Palestinian students who set up a camp in LSE buildings last May before the university secured a court order barring them. The lawyers involved in the case have said Hamas has not paid them or the experts and lawyers who provided evidence for its submission, as it was illegal to receive funds from a group designated as a terrorist organisation. In a series of tweets, Riverway Law added that 'nothing in these posts invites any individual to support, or express support for any proscribed organisation' listed by the Home Secretary under the Terrorism Act 2000. It said: 'These posts are only to provide a summary of the legal application to summarise its significance.' It set out three grounds for its appeal including that proscription was 'incompatible' with articles 10, 11 and 14 of the ECHR 'because it unlawfully restricts the freedom of speech and assembly of those with whom the British state politically disagrees'. Hamas said the proscription also hindered its ability to broker a political solution to the conflict, stifled conversations in securing a long-term political settlement and criminalised ordinary Palestinians living in Gaza. Using the example of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa and the IRA in Northern Ireland, the application 'asserts that proscription undermines the possibility of a peaceful settlement'. 'Hamas does not deny that its actions fall within the wide definition of 'terrorism' under the Terrorism Act 2000,' the organisation said in its legal submission. 'Instead, it notes that the definition also covers all groups and organisations around the world that use violence to achieve political objectives, including the Israeli armed forces, the Ukrainian Army and, indeed, the British Armed Forces.' Ms Cooper has 90 days to respond to Hamas's application. Under section four of the Terrorism Act, any group proscribed as a terrorist organisation can appeal to remove its name from the government's list of banned organisations. The Home Secretary also has the discretion to add or remove any group engaged in armed conflict from the list of proscribed organisations. If she rejects the application, Hamas could launch an appeal to the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, under which the decision can be challenged on judicial review grounds.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Marshall Mitchell: Mitchell City Council to consider purchasing property at 1515 N. Sanborn
Mar. 30—MITCHELL — The Mitchell City Council will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 31, at 1515 N. Sanborn for a tour of the CHR building as part of a council work session. The council will evaluate it to consider purchasing the property at a discounted sum, according to council president Kevin McCardle. "People have talked about moving City Hall, and that might be an option," McCardle told the Mitchell Republic. "We're just gonna go up there and check our options out." The property at 1515 N. Sanborn Blvd. is a two story and one story sprawling brick building with 75,800 square feet of office space with portions of the building being built in 1987, 1992 and 1996. It is listed for sale at $5,999,999. Amenities include a reception area, multiple conference and office spaces, a large shared break area with kitchen and in-suite restrooms. "We wanna see what kind of shape it's in. If it's worn down and needs a lot of work then there's no reason to do it," McCardle said. The property includes a parking lot. Previous real estate listings included the empty 110,889 square foot lot behind the building. The property is south of Muth Electric and across the street from the Village Bowl at the corner of North Sanborn Boulevard and West Fifteenth Avenue. The property is owned by Martin and Associates, according to the Davison County Geographic Information System. The South Dakota Secretary of State lists Matthew J. Martin of Sioux Falls as the owner of Martin and Associates. "Probably once a year we'll drive around and look at the sidewalks, or drive around and look at different things that we think need to be done in town," McCardle said. Immediately following the tour, the council will return to City Hall at 612 N. Main Street to discuss setting goals for the next 10 years, and to discuss various city projects. Residents are welcome, but no citizens' input will be heard.
