The Wheel of Torture, a game that should never be played Towards the end of January 2014, the Philippine

Commission on Human Rights (CHR !ondu!ted an inspe!tion in what was alleged to "e a se!ret detention fa!ility in the pro#in!e of $i%an, &aguna, Philippines' (hat the CHR offi!ials dis!o#ered sho!)ed them' They found the *wheel of torture,+ whi!h purported to "e a torture de#i!e used "y the offi!ers of the P,P (Philippine ,ational Poli!e pro#in!ial intelligen!e "ran!h in $i%an' The *wheel of torture+ loo)s li)e an inno!uous entertainment de#i!e from afar' -nd e#en if it is e.amined !losely, one would thin) of it as su!h' $ut the CHR offi!ials re#ealed that the poli!e used it to determine the )ind of torture to "e infli!ted upon the detainees, mostly suspe!ted drug traffi!)ers' The poli!emen would spin the *wheel of torture,+ whi!h !ontains different ways of infli!ting physi!al torture on detainees' /or instan!e, the wheel !ontains *20 0e!ond 1anny Pa!man,+ whi!h means twenty se!onds of non2stop "eating a la 1anny *Pa!man+ Pa!3uiao, the famous /ilipino "o.er' CHR offi!ials said the poli!e offi!ers do that for information, !onfession, or fun' Human rights group at home and a"road !ondemned the pra!ti!e' CHR Chairperson &oretta -nn Rosales !alled it *horri"le'+ Ha4el 5alang2/olli of -mnesty 6nternational !alled it *despi!a"le'+ -t least ten poli!e offi!ers in#ol#ed in this a"omina"le pra!ti!e ha#e "een relie#ed from their posts and are now "eing in#estigated for pro"a"le administrati#e and !riminal !harges' Philippine laws and international instruments prohi"it torture for whate#er purpose it is used' -rti!le 666, 0e!tion 12 (2 of the 1789 Philippine Constitution pro#ides: *,o torture, #iolen!e, threat, intimidation or any other means whi!h #itiate the free will shall "e used against;+ *<a=ny person under in#estigation for the !ommission of an offense'+ The >nited ,ations Con#ention -gainst Torture (>, C-T , to whi!h the Philippines is a 0tate party, !alled on 0tate parties to *ta)e effe!ti#e legislati#e, administrati#e, ?udi!ial or other measures to pre#ent a!ts of torture in any territory under its ?urisdi!tion'+ The >, C-T defines torture as *any a!t "y whi!h se#ere pain or suffering, whether physi!al or mental, is intentionally infli!ted on a person for su!h purposes as o"taining from him or a third person information or a !onfession, punishing him for an a!t he or a third person has !ommitted or is suspe!ted of ha#ing !ommitted, or intimidating or !oer!ing him or a third person, or for any reason "ased on dis!rimination of any )ind, when su!h pain or suffering is infli!ted "y or at the instigation of or with the !onsent or a!3uies!en!e of a pu"li! offi!ial or other person a!ting in an offi!ial !apa!ity' 6t does not in!lude pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or in!idental to lawful san!tions'+ This definition was adopted "y the Philippine legislature when it passed Repu"li! -!t 794@, the Philippine -nti2Torture -!t of 2007' The law does not only punish physi!al torture, "ut also mentalA psy!hologi!al torture whi!h refers to *a!ts !ommitted "y a person in authority or agent of a person in authority whi!h are !al!ulated to affe!t or !onfuse the mind andAor undermine a personBs dignity and morale'+

6n 201C, as the Philippines ?oined the entire world in the !ele"ration of 6nternational Human Rights Day, Philippine President $enigno 0' -3uino 666Es spo)esperson 0e!retary 0onny Coloma said that it is the primordial !ommitment of the President to prote!t the "asi! rights of the /ilipinos' Fet when human rights group !alled on the -3uino -dministration to a!t swiftly, it !hose to pussyfoot' 0e!retary Coloma said, *(e will await CHREs findings and re!ommendations on this spe!ifi! matter as it has the primary responsi"ility for prote!ting and promoting human rights'+ (hen he assumed the presiden!y in 2010, among his priorities was to get rid of Philippine 0upreme Court Chief Justi!e Renato Corona who, the President "elie#ed, was a politi!al la!)ey of his prede!essor 5loria 1a!apagal2-rroyo' Thus, in 2011, he #igorously supported the impea!hment of Chief Justi!e Corona' The Philippine 0enate su!!essfully impea!hed the Chief Justi!e' $ut today, one of the 0enators, Ramon *$ong+ Re#illa, Jr', is !laiming that President -3uino in#ited him to lo""y for the !on#i!tion of the Chief Justi!e' That merely goes to show that if the President wishes to get things done, he !an a!tually get things done' The re!ent e.posure of torture pra!ti!e in $i%an, &aguna presents a great opportunity for the -3uino -dministration to deli#er its promise to prote!t the "asi! rights of /ilipinos' This is a defining moment for the -3uino -dministration insofar as human rights prote!tion is !on!erned' -s a Chief &aw Gnfor!er, President -3uinoEs mandate is to ensure that laws are faithfully e.e!uted' This in!ludes nota"ly the -nti2Torture -!t of 2007 and the >, C-T' (ith "arely two years "efore his term e.pires, President -3uino must sei4e this opportunity'