Remulla: UN envoy to visit PH in his personal capacity
UNITED Nations Special Rapporteur Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz will be coming to the country on Monday, February 6, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Sunday said.
In a statement, Remulla, however, qualified that Tidball-Binz will not be coming as a special rapporteur but as a forensic pathologist “to assist the law enforcement agencies in the Philippines to investigate cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.”
“He is coming in his capacity as an expert in the field to help capacitate our current doctors. We need more capable doctors in our country to assist our law enforcement agencies in their work. This is an enormous step towards that goal,” Remulla said.
Tidball-Binz is set to meet with Remulla, Secretary Enrique Manalo of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Director-General Moro Virgilio Lazo of PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin, Director Medardo De Lemos of the National Bureau of Investigation, the National Prosecution Service, and several Civil Society Organizations. He then departs on February 9, 2023.
“This will pave the way for forensic pathologists and enhance their practice to achieve international standard practices. Dr. Tidball-Binz’s visit will help us identify the intricacies of wrongful death tragedies, ” Remulla continued.
Dr. Tidball-Binz is a well-renowned forensic doctor who pioneered the application of forensic science to human rights investigations for disappearances in Argentina.
As co-founder of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, the organization developed certain scientific methods to apply to the investigation of human rights and humanitarian violations.
In 2004, he joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is the world’s only humanitarian organization that has forensic capacity used exclusively for humanitarian purposes.
He assisted in the creation of the ICRC Forensic Unit and served as the Director until 2017 then proceeded to head the forensic operation for the Humanitarian Project Plan.
The Missing Persons Project was launched by the ICRC in 2018 to assist in the development of new guidelines in the prevention and resolution of missing persons cases, which Tidball-Binz was forensic manager of until 2020.
On April 1, 2021, Tidball-Binz was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur for extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions. His significant contributions to forensic science, human rights, and humanitarian actions have led to the awarding of two Honoris Causa Doctorates.
