First, it was the Ivan Padilla case. That already was enough to create a negative image of our police force. But the recent TV news video of a naked man being tortured by a police officer drew so much public outrage, and evidently was much more compelling, as it was carried by CNN. The “berdugo” identified as Senior Inspector Joselito Binayug and 21 of his men have been suspended while awaiting further trial. Binayug, surrounded by some of his men was caught by a cell phone camera pulling a string tied to the genitals of the victim who was apparently in great pain. This happened in a precinct station in Tondo. A woman thought it looked like her husband who had been missing and wished they would have shot him rather than have him go through such a terrible ordeal.

The question in the minds of many is: How could such a dastardly inhuman act happen in a presumably civilized society? Have the onlookers become so desensitized that they allowed themselves to witness a punitive deed without feeling any compunction? A brutal crime such as this one could have prompted the PNP Intelligence to investigate every aspect of the incident – the name of the victim, why it happened, and whether there are similar happenings going on. How many of these victims have been buried in unmarked graves while their kin hopefully await their return someday? The outcomes of the investigation by the Commission on Human Rights, the Ombudsman, the police authorities and their department, the DILG, should result in drastic policy reforms of our law enforcement system. But reforms should be complemented by sociological research that examines the root causes of these aberrant mindsets and behaviors.

The UN Convention Against Torture defines torture as “any act that creates a severe pain and suffering whether physical or mental, intentionally inflicted to obtain information or confession or to punish.” Torture is an indicator of impunity. Based on its observation regarding the gap between law and practice in the country, Amnesty International noted that it is this gap that “helps sustain a continuing de facto climate of impunity. This shields the perpetrators of torture and other grave human rights violations from persecution and conviction... The use of torture compromises the right to a free trial and the integrity of the justice system.”

A roundtable discussion on impunity conducted by the Asian Institute of Journalism, the Philippine Association of Communication Educators, and the Unesco National Commission of the Philippines with members of the social science, media and legal community, explored factors behind the impunity in the killing of journalists. De la Salle University College of law dean and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno noted that we may wish to consider the unwritten initiation practices of the Philippine National Police in recruiting police officers as this may be related to impunity and corruption. Impunity according to child psychologist, Dr. Lourdes A. Carandang is a consequence of the “culture of intimidation” – manifested in bullying, exercise of power over someone. Study the “military” and the “police” mindset as this could yield insights into impunity, says political scientist and former National Defense College president, Dr. Clarita Carlos. (To be continued)

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The social science community mourns the passing away of Dr. Loretta Makasiar Sicat, former chair and executive director of the Philippine Social Science Council and UP Department of Political Science. Loretta will be remembered as the primary institution builder of PSSC – raising its visibility and impact as a multidisciplinary council of anthropologists, economists, sociologists, linguists, psychologists, historians, demographers, geographers, statisticians, communicators, and social welfare specialists. She obtained her doctorate in political science at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the same university where her husband Dr. Gerardo T. Sicat, former secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority, also obtained his economics degree. In his memoirs, the latter speaks about Loretta’s gifts – an “eloquent and perceptive debater on any issue – significant or inconsequential, world changing or trivial…She was a good listener who could distinguish between good or foolish ideas as well as between substantial and shallow people.” My deep condolences to the family and friends. My e-mail is florangel.braid@gmail.com.