The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) assured of its total commitment to the Philippines by increasing its work in jails and prisons all over the country in 2010.

Jean-Daniel Tauxe, head of the ICRC delegation in the Philippines, said aside from its work in jails and prisons, their organization will also help in boosting awareness of international humanitarian law (IHL) and continue its assistance and protection activities across the country.

Tauxe said that a national conference that will gather various government agencies will also be held in Manila this coming March in an effort to decongest jails around the country and to better protect local prisoners.

“The ICRC works with national agencies to address overcrowding in detention and its consequences on inmates' health and living conditions. Together with the Philippine National Red Cross (PRC), the ICRC will continue to strengthen respect for IHL in the country,” Tauxe said.

"Our dialogue with the authorities in the Philippines has resulted in two significant breakthroughs: Bringing together various government agencies in an effort to decongest jails, with a national conference to be held in March, and the enactment of the 'Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity,'" he pointed out.

Tauxe, at the same time, also assured that the ICRC will continue to help the PNRC enhance its capability to respond to major disasters, to violence linked with armed conflict and to other emergencies.