Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. Friday urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines not to defy the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in its effort to investigate allegations of human rights violation on the so-called “Morong 43”.

Pimentel noted that the military gave a flimsy excuse when it did not present the 43 health workers it detained during Thursday’s hearing on the case.

Military lawyers cited the lack of a court order as the reason why they did not present the detainees.

Pimentel warned it would be a “grievous mistake” and a “dangerous gesture” if the AFP continue to defy the authority of the human rights body.

“I believe that the CHR, in exercising its powers as an independent Constitutional body, has the right to require the AFP to produce the health workers who have been indefinitely detained in a military camp,” Pimentel said.

“The duty of the AFP to protect the security of the state should be liberally interpreted in favor of safeguarding the human rights of accused citizens. Otherwise, the powers of the CHR in extending protection to victims of human rights violations will be unnecessarily impaired,” the senator said.

Pimentel also called on the military to refrain from actions that would make it difficult for the CHR to carry out its delicate investigative responsibility, given its inherent weaknesses arising from its lack of power to prosecute violators of human rights.

He pointed out that the military earlier failed to present the detained health workers before the Court of Appeals (CA) even after the court had granted the habeas corpus petition of lawyers of the suspects.

At the same time, Pimentel challenged newly appointed AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Delfin Bangit not to tolerate any attempt of cover-up of allegedly human rights violations by the military handling the health workers.