MANILA, June 28 — A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Wednesday lauded government forces following a recent report by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that there has been no formal complaint of rights violations since martial law was declared in Mindanao.
In a statement, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo commended members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their “professionalism” amid the ongoing clashes against the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City.
In its report issued last June 24, the commission said it has not received any formal report on human rights abuses in Mindanao, a month after it was placed under military rule.
The CHR however said it would continue to monitor closely the human rights condition in Mindanao amid the armed conflict in the besieged city of Marawi.
“While the Commission has yet to receive formal complaints of human rights violations in Mindanao, this does not hinder initiatives from our concerned regional offices to continue monitoring, as well as initiate investigations, on the human rights condition, on the ground towards preserving the dignity of all amidst this conflict,” the CHR statement read.
The assessment of an orderly conduct of martial law a month after it was declared is instrumental in preventing Islamic State (IS) sympathizers from winning more adherents in their deadly campaign, Castelo said.
He likewise urged the human rights body to keep an eye on the atrocities being committed by the Maute Group and its adherents, who are the main source of rights violations in the conflict zone. (FMC/PNA)