Data, circumstances needed in filing raps vs AFP personnel: Año

While it welcomes any complaints against its abusive members, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Eduardo Año said groups planning to do so must provide the military pertinent data and circumstances so it can launch an investigation. (Photo By Philippine Army – Armed forces of the Philippines, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA — While it welcomes any complaints against its abusive members, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Eduardo Año said groups planning to do so must provide the military pertinent data and circumstances so it can launch an investigation.

Año issued this statement in wake of a United Nations Security Council report claiming that the AFP was involved in the alleged killing 11 children sometime in 2016.

“Regarding (the UN report), the AFP welcomes any complaint just provide us the data, circumstance and we will conduct the investigation. We do not condone any extra-judicial killing or violation of human rights (as) from top up to the lowest unit of our troops in the field, we have a designated human rights officers,” he added.

Also, Año said the leftist groups often file unverified reports against the military, hence, his desire for complainants to give exact data and circumstances.

The AFP chief added that complaints similar to those mentioned above should be filed in the proper forum.

“We have a Commission of Human Rights so welcome any filing of cases against our personnel,” he stressed.