CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) joined various government and non-government agencies in the national commemoration of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Day on Friday, August 12.
The IHL day commemoration ceremony was held at the AFP Commissioned Officers Country in Camp Aguinaldo, with the Department of National Defense (DND) serving as the host. One of the event’s highlights was the opening of a photo exhibit showcasing the importance of IHL and Human Rights.
The DND and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) co-chair the IHL Ad Hoc Committee, to which the AFP is a member, along with other agencies in the security, law enforcement, education, and human rights sector.
Present in the ceremony were Usec. Ignacio Madriaga, DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning; Former Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross; Mr. Boris Michael, Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Atty. Jacqueline Ann De Guia, Executive Director of the Commission on Human Rights; Mr. Alfredo Lubang, National Coordinator of Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines; Usec. Severo Catura, Executive Director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat; Usec. Jesus Domingo, Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs; and Usec. Franco Nemesio Gacal from the DND.
Brigadier General Joel Alejandro Nacnac, Director of the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) led the AFP delegation.
The AFP is also participating in the month-long celebration of the IHL month by undertaking different activities to educate further and raise the awareness of military personnel about IHL and Human Rights. A series of IHL webinars will be facilitated by the AFPCLOAC throughout the month of August. It will also conduct the IHL Summit via video teleconferencing on August 17.
Executive Order 134 s. 1999 declares every August 12 as IHL Day. This observance coincides with the anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which is the set of international treaties that form the core of IHL and to which the Philippines is a contracting party.///(Photos by Sgt Joel Manzano PA/PAOAFP)
