enforcement agencies, the training of prosecutors
I}om the Department of Justice, the training of judges
SUMMIT BACKGROUND
Atty. Byron Bocar
Commission on Human Rights
This isihe Second National lHLSummitaswe all know,
after the First National IHL Summit which was held
in 2009. As we heard from previous speakers, there
have been a lot of major developments in this fleld.
Still, a lot of things need to be done. Among them,
already mentioned, was our accession of the Rome
who will be designated to preside over special courts
that would be designated by the Supreme Court in
RA No. 9851, and
accordance with Section 18
of
also public awareness raising among the human
rights community who will be stakeholders with other
agencies to do their part in the implementation of
the law. And, of course the general objedive of this
summit is to come up with a Philippine Program of
Action which will be a multi-stakeholder endeavor
that we will all undertake in the coming period.
genocide patterned after the provisions of the Rome
To be able to consolidate all the different things
that need to be done as a follow through from
this Second National IHL Summit and to put it all
together in a National Program of Action, will be
our fundamental point of reference in undertaking
our activities in the coming period. I would like to
Statute.
mention that
There have been initiatives by institutions like the
Commission on Human Rights as previously stated by
Chairperson Etia Rosales, regarding the performance of
the crime of aggression. The Kampala Amendments
to the Rome Statute establishing the lnternational
Criminal Court and ihis was noted for study by the
government and this specific point should be noted
down as we buckle down to work today, to see to
it that this is inteqrated in the Philippine Program
of Action, that will be the output of a process to be
Statute which integrated us into the lnternational
Criminal Justice System of the International Criminal
CourL There was also the previous approval of the
Republic Act No. 9851 which defines and penalizes
violations of war crimes, war against humanity and
a
recommendation of the Universal
Periodic Review was the Kampala Amendment on
obligations mentioned in the law. But as emphasized,
there are still a lot of things to be done in the field,
practical areas including training of investigators
from institutions like the Commission on Human
Rights, the Philippine National Police and other law
started after we conclude todays activities.
rl
t
..r
I
proceedings of the Second National Summit on lnternational Humanitarian Law in the
Philippines lL
December
2012 E