MAMANG PULIS -- “YOU have the right to remain silent. Any statement you make may be used against you in a court of law in the Philippines. You have the right to have a competent and independent counsel preferably of your own choice. If you cannot afford the services of a counsel, the government will provide you one. Do you understand these rights?”

These words are the new Miranda Warning which should be recited by any police officer and men in case they arrest a suspected criminal offender, Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor A. Bartolome said.

Last week, 15,000 copies of the New Miranda Warnings cards also containing some provisions of Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Law in Filipino, Bisaya and Cebuano versions were formally received by Gen. Bartolome from the International Committee of the Red Cross represented by Graciella Leite Piccolo, the ICRC deputy head of delegation here.

Gen. Bartolome said that as part of the PNP’s strict adherence to human rights, all members of the 140,000-strong police force are required to recite the New Miranda Doctrine when making arrest.

As such, policemen making an arrest are also required to read the following: “You have the right to demand physical examination by an independent and competent doctor of your choice. If you cannot afford the services of a doctor, the state shall provide one for you.”

The Anti-Torture Law was created to curb and punish physical and mental torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment inflicted by a person in authority or agent upon another person in his/her custody.

RA 9745 states that “the victim of torture has the right to have an impartial investigation completed within a maximum period of 60 working days, to have sufficient government protection, to claim compensation which should in no case be less than P10,000 to be informed of his/her right to demand physical examination and to immediate access to proper and adequate medical treatment.”