11 August 2004 – On the occasion of International Humanitarian Law Day on Thursday, 12 August 2004, Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert called upon the Filipino nation to strive towards greater awareness of the principles of international humanitarian law (IHL).

“IHL, or the law of armed conflict, is the body of rules that govern the conduct of armed conflict,” the Secretary said. “Among other things, they deal with the protection of non-combatants and the use of non-discriminatory weapons that cause undue suffering. These rules are designed to limit human suffering and environmental damage during armed conflicts.”

Secretary Albert noted that while IHL has afforded protection to innumerable victims of war, there are far too many cases when these rules have been blatantly ignored, as it was with Angelo de la Cruz, a Filipino truck driver for a Saudi oil company who was taken hostage in Iraq by a group of armed men. The international community regarded the hostage taking as a serious violation of IHL principles, particularly the Fourth Geneva Protocol which prohibits the use of human shields and the taking of hostages in armed conflicts.

“We believe that a crucial element in the successful implementation of international humanitarian law is greater public awareness,” Secretary Albert explained. “We have a duty to ensure that treaties of international humanitarian law are known and respected. Merely acceding to them is not enough to guarantee their observance. We must also educate our people to ensure respect for these treaties.”

The yearly celebration of IHL Day in the Philippines was institutionalized by Executive Order No. 134 issued on 31 July 1999 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Four Geneva Conventions. - END