The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) formally opened on Monday, August 1, its month-long celebration of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Brig. Gen. Joel Alejandro Nacnac, director of the AFP Center for Law of Armed Conflict, facilitated the oath-taking ceremony of military and civilian personnel as they reaffirmed the organization’s adherence to the principles of IHL and commitment to its promulgation.
Meanwhile, Gen. Andres Centino, AFP Chief of Staff, urged all AFP personnel to “stay on the right track, improve performance, and focus on accomplishing the mission of protecting the people and the state.”
“Over the years, much has been done to institutionalize the fundamentals of IHL, all of which underscores the importance of human rights and dignity and their protection above all else,” Centino said in a speech delivered by Vice Adm. Rommel Anthony SD Reyes, the AFP deputy chief of staff.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Upholding IHL as we Recover from the Pandemic: Bayanihan to Reduce the Suffering in Armed Conflict Toward Advancing the Gains of Peace and reconciliation.”
This highlights the importance of IHL in preventing unwanted sufferings of actors involved in armed conflict, according to the AFP.
Former Pres. Joseph Estrada signed Executive Order (EO) No. 134 in 1999 to declare Aug. 12, 1999 and every 12th day of August thereafter as the International Humanitarian Law Day in commemoration of the signing of the 1949 Geneva Conventions in the aftermath of the World War II.
The Geneva Conventions are four treaties and three additional protocols which establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in times of war. The Philippines is a contracting party to all four Geneva Conventions.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of National Defense (DND) were tasked to undertake necessary coordination nationwide on the participation of all government agencies in activities that would promote IHL, in support of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).