Philippines
19.03.03
Urgent Interventions
Philippines: degrading treatment, physical and verbal abuse and the arrest of homosexual persons
Case PHL 190303
Police raid / Violation of personal integrity / Arbitrary arrests / Discrimination
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Philippines.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, of a raid by the police on a cinema frequented by homosexuals in Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines, which resulted in degrading treatment, physical and verbal abuse and the arrest of several persons.
According to the information received, on February 19th, 2003, members of the Central Police District of the Philippine National Police raided the Alta Theater, a cinema frequented by homosexual persons. The raid was reportedly set off by a reporter of ABS-CBN, JV Villar. According to the information received, Mr. Villar went to the police station and said that there were indecent acts going on at the Alta Theater. Mr. Villar, along with another colleague, reportedly accompanied the plain-clothes policemen on the raid and filmed the events for the news. It is reported that the police subjected the patrons to physical and verbal abuse and extortion attempts. The police allegedly hit the men with their hands and hard objects, with one victim having reportedly been hit with a gun. Reports include that 63 men were apprehended for verification, five men were arrested, and that they were all brought to nearby Camp Karingal.
According to the information received, the tapes from the raid were shown on three separate ABS-CBN news programs. The moviegoers reportedly had their right to privacy violated when they were filmed while being brought out of the cinema, with no opportunity to hide their faces from the cameras. Some of the men were allegedly forced into interviews by the television crews. While the segment was being aired on the news program Magandang Umaga Bayan, one of the hosts reportedly commented on the unfair treatment of the men. His colleague, Erwin Tulfo, however allegedly commented that the “indecent” gay men deserved that kind of treatment from the police.
According to the information received, the men that were arrested and brought to Camp Karingal were each told they needed to pay P1,000 to be released from prison. They were reportedly able to raise a total of P3,500, which they gave the policeman, and were subsequently released.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned with the use of violence and extortion in the raid on the Alta Theater cinema. OMCT is also disturbed by the discrimination shown towards members of the gay community. OMCT urges the authorities to immediately halt all acts of discrimination, harassment and violence against alleged members of the gay community, notably the persons involved in this case. Furthermore, OMCT calls upon the Government of the Philippines to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into these allegations of human rights violations, to bring the perpetrators to justice and guarantee adequate reparation to the victims of these abuses.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in the Philippines urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil, and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to those involved in these events;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in the country, in accordance with international laws and standards.
Addresses
· Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, Malacañang, Manila, Philippines, Fax no. +632 736 1010, 832 3793 Email: opnet@ops.gov.ph, pgma@compass.com.ph
· Hon. Hernando Perez, Secretary of Justice, Department of Justice, Padre Faura, Manila, Fax: +632 521 1614, sechbp@info.com.ph
· Hon. Jose C. De Venecia, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Constitution Hills,Quezon City NCR, Fax: +632 931 5556
· Franklin M. Drilon, Senate President, Rm 606, 6th Floor, Senate of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City Philippines, Fax: +632 552 6876, Email: fmd@sendrilon.org.ph
· Ms. Valera Quisumbing, Commission on Human Rights, SAAC Bldg. Commonwealth Ave., UP Complex, Diliman, Quezon City, Email to apnr@chr.gov.ph
· Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan, Committee on Justice and Human Rights-Senate, Rm. 526, GSIS Bldg., Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, kiko@fplaw.com.ph
· Ambassadeur, Ramel, Samuel T., Av. Blanc 47, CH-1202, Genève, Suisse, e-mail : philippine.mission@ties.itu.int, fax: +4122 716 19 33
· ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Sergent Esquerra Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, Fax: 63-2-9241523, E-mail: feedback@abs-cbn.com
Please also write to the embassies of the Philippines in your respective country.
Geneva, March 19th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Police raid / Violation of personal integrity / Arbitrary arrests / Discrimination
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Philippines.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, of a raid by the police on a cinema frequented by homosexuals in Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines, which resulted in degrading treatment, physical and verbal abuse and the arrest of several persons.
According to the information received, on February 19th, 2003, members of the Central Police District of the Philippine National Police raided the Alta Theater, a cinema frequented by homosexual persons. The raid was reportedly set off by a reporter of ABS-CBN, JV Villar. According to the information received, Mr. Villar went to the police station and said that there were indecent acts going on at the Alta Theater. Mr. Villar, along with another colleague, reportedly accompanied the plain-clothes policemen on the raid and filmed the events for the news. It is reported that the police subjected the patrons to physical and verbal abuse and extortion attempts. The police allegedly hit the men with their hands and hard objects, with one victim having reportedly been hit with a gun. Reports include that 63 men were apprehended for verification, five men were arrested, and that they were all brought to nearby Camp Karingal.
According to the information received, the tapes from the raid were shown on three separate ABS-CBN news programs. The moviegoers reportedly had their right to privacy violated when they were filmed while being brought out of the cinema, with no opportunity to hide their faces from the cameras. Some of the men were allegedly forced into interviews by the television crews. While the segment was being aired on the news program Magandang Umaga Bayan, one of the hosts reportedly commented on the unfair treatment of the men. His colleague, Erwin Tulfo, however allegedly commented that the “indecent” gay men deserved that kind of treatment from the police.
According to the information received, the men that were arrested and brought to Camp Karingal were each told they needed to pay P1,000 to be released from prison. They were reportedly able to raise a total of P3,500, which they gave the policeman, and were subsequently released.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned with the use of violence and extortion in the raid on the Alta Theater cinema. OMCT is also disturbed by the discrimination shown towards members of the gay community. OMCT urges the authorities to immediately halt all acts of discrimination, harassment and violence against alleged members of the gay community, notably the persons involved in this case. Furthermore, OMCT calls upon the Government of the Philippines to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into these allegations of human rights violations, to bring the perpetrators to justice and guarantee adequate reparation to the victims of these abuses.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in the Philippines urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil, and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to those involved in these events;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in the country, in accordance with international laws and standards.
Addresses
· Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, Malacañang, Manila, Philippines, Fax no. +632 736 1010, 832 3793 Email: opnet@ops.gov.ph, pgma@compass.com.ph
· Hon. Hernando Perez, Secretary of Justice, Department of Justice, Padre Faura, Manila, Fax: +632 521 1614, sechbp@info.com.ph
· Hon. Jose C. De Venecia, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Constitution Hills,Quezon City NCR, Fax: +632 931 5556
· Franklin M. Drilon, Senate President, Rm 606, 6th Floor, Senate of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City Philippines, Fax: +632 552 6876, Email: fmd@sendrilon.org.ph
· Ms. Valera Quisumbing, Commission on Human Rights, SAAC Bldg. Commonwealth Ave., UP Complex, Diliman, Quezon City, Email to apnr@chr.gov.ph
· Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan, Committee on Justice and Human Rights-Senate, Rm. 526, GSIS Bldg., Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, kiko@fplaw.com.ph
· Ambassadeur, Ramel, Samuel T., Av. Blanc 47, CH-1202, Genève, Suisse, e-mail : philippine.mission@ties.itu.int, fax: +4122 716 19 33
· ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Sergent Esquerra Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, Fax: 63-2-9241523, E-mail: feedback@abs-cbn.com
Please also write to the embassies of the Philippines in your respective country.
Geneva, March 19th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.