CALL FOR A FAIR INVESTIGATION OF ROMMEL MIRANDA CASE.
- by: Humphrey Fellows and other Human Rights activists
- recipient: Secretary Leila De Lima, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Padre Faura, Manila, Philippines.
It has come to our attention that one of our distinguished Alumni, P/SUPT. ROMMEL SANTOS MIRANDA, (Humphrey Fellow, 2010-2011), on 24 February 2012, was accused of abducting and killing a wealthy businesswoman and is undergoing the preliminary investigation in Philippines.
When you add your signature to this letter to the Ministry of Justice of Philippines, you are taking a stand for requesting to provide Rommel Miranda with a fair trial and all relevant Human Rights guarantees. Your signature for pressing to secure human rights in this case is nothing more as only request to provide an outstanding person with the opportunity to defend himself in compliance with all human rights standards. Your small action may be a decisive factor in the final outcome of this case and life of Rommel Miranda.
Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by law. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. Everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal and later for an appeal. No one should be tortured or undergo inhuman or degrading treatment. These are the basic human rights that should be respected universally and we pledge that they should be respected and applied in the case of Rommel Miranda as well.
On 24 February 2012, Rommel Miranda was accused of abducting and killing a wealthy businesswoman and is undergoing the preliminary investigation in Philippines.
Mr. Miranda is a well-regarded Police Superintendent of the Philippine National Police. He holds a number of awards gained for his demonstrated courage on duty. Rommel was selected as a Hubert H. Humphrey fellow for the year of 2010-2011. During his fellowship he demonstrated the highest qualities of his exceptional character and gained trust and respect of all his group fellows and people around him. He sought to improve his knowledge on human rights application to police work and put continuous efforts to gain professional experience needed to formulate better institutional policies, practices, and capability on the permissive use-of-force by the police in Philippines. He wanted in Philippines to develop the monitoring and investigating system, training program and equipment build-up for police use-of-force, to prevent violations of human rights and legal standards. Return to the reality upon completion of the fellowship, for many fellows is not easy, however, for Rommel Miranda is even much harder – he has to face serious charges put against him and prove his innocence.
Considering the seriousness of the presented charges against Rommel Miranda, we pledge the Ministry of Justice of Philippines, to secure a thorough and complete investigation of his case, and take all the necessary measures to secure his basic fundamental human rights. We note that Philippines becoming a party to many international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, has assumed international obligations that should be applied in practice in case of Rommel Miranda as well.
Respectfully Yours,
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