SELECTED officers and enlisted personnel of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division, Philippine Army, participated in a five-day training on Administrative Order No. 35 (AO35) at Apo View Hotel, Davao City, concluding on April 5.
AO35, established in 2012, created the Inter-Agency Committee (IAC) tasked with investigating extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other human rights violations.
The training brought together military personnel, city and provincial prosecutors, PNP and NBI investigators, and Commission on Human Rights representatives.
The curriculum covered critical topics like the AO35 mechanism, electronic evidence handling, human rights protocols, and victim support programs.
Assistant State Prosecutor Gino Paolo Santiago, head of the AO35 Secretariat, highlighted the government’s commitment to human rights by increasing the AO35 budget and improving case monitoring.
He said, “We hope you join us in resolving these cases. The technical working group secretariat remains here to assist with investigations.”
The Agila Division leadership reaffirmed their dedication to upholding human rights, international humanitarian law, and the rule of law, emphasizing zero tolerance for violations.
The training comes as the Armed Forces of the Philippines Human Rights Office, on January 15, 2021, submitted a list of 544 minors used as child warriors and 532 incidents of property destruction by the CPP-NPA-NDF to the AO35 Secretariat for investigation.
