Last Sunday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima appeal to the military officers to stop the use of torture and other forms of physical abuse on its new recruits after the video scandal that spread in the internet where in recruited militaries is being tortured by their trainees.
Justice Secretary de Lima has condemned this actions and brutality that the military is doing to their new recruits. Training officials of the army’s 9th infantry Division which is based in Camarines Sur were said to be involved in the video.
“Torture for whatever purpose is reprehensible, its prohibition is and ought to be absolute and unqualified’ this is what de Lima said to his text message forwarded to the press.
According to de Lima when she was asked by the press whether she will conduct an investigation she replied that as of now she will leave it to the CHR (Commission on Human Rights) to do the investigation.
The two videos were first posted in YouTube were it has gained more than 2300 views and received some unpleasant remarks against the AFP.
One of the user who commented in the video said that soldiers deserve to die in encounters and ambuscades because of their cruelty.
Major Harold Cabunoc 9th ID spokesman admitted in an interview that the soldiers in the videos were members of the Army command’s military training unit.
Cabunoc defended the soldiers in the video by saying that the cruel beatings seen were part of the training for army’s escape and evasion technique. But then he added that militaries involved in the videos were relieved from their position.
He also suspected that the two videos were posted by the New people’s Army (NPA) to give military a bad impression to the public and cover up what he called the insurgents own human rights abuses in Bicol.
However de Lima did not accept the army’s explanation and said that military should not do this kind of training were in it is against the human rights.
The House of Representatives were also pushed by the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan to conduct an investigation regarding the cruelty happening inside the army.