Training on Minnesota Protocol necessary for prevention of EJKs - UN special rapporteur

The training and implementation of the Minnesota Protocol are necessary for the prevention of extrajudicial executions, UN Special Rapporteur Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz said Friday.

Binz led a five-day technical training program on how to carry out investigations into potentially unlawful deaths in accordance with international standards.

"I’m extremely grateful for this because the dissemination, promotion, training, and implementation of the Minnesota Protocol are absolutely fundamental for the investigation and prevention of extrajudicial executions," Binz said in closing the program.

With the training program completed, Binz said there is now a Tagalog version of the Minnesota Protocol, which ''is a set of guidelines for investigating deaths that may have been caused by human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, torture, or disappearances,'' according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

''The protocol provides guidance on how to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. The aim of the protocol is to ensure that investigations are carried out in a transparent and effective manner, with the goal of determining the truth and bringing those responsible to justice,'' the CHR said.

Participants in the training included officials from the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, the CHR, and representatives from civic society organizations.

Also present were the country’s two forensic pathologists, Dr. Raquel Fortun and Dr. Ma. Cecilia Lim.

Meanwhile, joining Binz in the team of experts were Dr. Stephen Cordoner and Atty. Kingsley Abbot.

According to Binz, they seek to make the training sustainable.

He said this was not his first time visiting the country to share his experiences and that he had been invited in 1986 to "share experiences with Philippine colleagues, on the investigation, search, recovery, and identification of the disappeared."

"But that was a one-off. There were no resources, there were no joint UN programs, or anything like that. That would allow for that successful effort to continue," he said.

This was echoed by Fortun, who said the training offered ''hope.''

"Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz said this is not a one-off, and that is what I am hoping for: that we can sustain this. That this is not a one-off. That we actually generate opportunities and continuing education and support for improving forensic science," she said.

CHR chief investigator Ronnie Rosero said the Minnesota Protocol was a "golden opportunity."

"This Minnesota Protocol is the golden opportunity for the Philippine government to use and implement law enforcement. Moreso, they could use this mechanism as a preventative measure to prevent grave human rights violations," Rosero said. 

Disaster victim identification

Meanwhile, Binz said the training will have an immediate impact on the identification of disaster victims.

"And as we discuss this week, what we’ve learned in terms of documentation, recovery of a body, documentation, and identification of a body has an immediate impact on disaster victim identification," he said.

"And how valuable this is for a country that is at the top of the list of disaster-prone countries in the world, and you suffer regularly from natural disasters leading to many deaths that need to be recovered and identified," he added.

Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Hazel Decena-Valdez said they plan more trainings in the future.

"Other, more advanced training programs are being conceptualized to ensure that intended results and deliverables are attained and maintained, including but not limited to reduced numbers of potential arbitrary killings as well as increased successful prosecution and convictions of human rights violations," she said. — VBL, GMA Integrated News