ILOILO City – There was no mention of human rights in the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Don’t fret, according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region 6.
“Kon waay nahambal ang phrase or term nga human rights, it doesn’t mean nga wala na ang isa ka gobyerno or isa ka president or administration sang programa related sa human rights,” said Atty. Jonnie Dabuco, CHR-6 director.
While it would have been good to hear the President’s stance and policy on human rights in the SONA, Dabuco acknowledged that there were many other equally pressing matters that occupied the chief executive’s attention. Mentioning all of these in the short time he was given to deliver his SONA would be a tall order, he said.
The President’s SONA generally focused on revitalizing the country’s economy, including ensuring food security.
In this sense, Dabuco said, the President also addressed human rights because freedom from hunger is a basic human right.
“Human rights are inter-related. Kon ang plano imprubahon ang pangabuhi sang mga pumoluyo nga wala sang may magutom, wala homeless, gina-fulfill mo ang economic right sang mga pumoluyo. Dira man ina gihapon masulod ang human rights,” explained Dabuco.
The President’s economy-centric SONA touched on agriculture, infrastructure, agrarian reform, and renewable energy, among others, but he also discussed education, the ongoing pandemic, the healthcare system, and his foreign policy.
As for the role of the CHR under the Marcos administration, Dabuco said the 1987 Constitution mandated its establishment as an independent office promote the protection of, respect for and the enhancements of the people’s human rights including civil and political rights
“Constitution na ya nagahambal kon ano ang dapat namon himuon. In fact, indi man gani kami under sa executive department. The CHR is an independent body,” stressed Dabuco.
Based on the Philippine Constitution, the c ommission has a broad mandate, which can be categorized into three major functional areas:
* Human Rights Protection – Investigation and case management of complaints of violations, including all the powers and services in aid of investigation, of civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights. Such powers and services include: citing for contempt for violations of its rules of procedure; legal aid and counseling; visitorial powers over jails and detention facilities; application of forensic techniques in aid of investigation; witness protection; and, financial assistance to victims
* Human Rights Promotion, which includes the wide range of strategies for policy, advocacy, promotion, social mobilization, education, training, public information, communication, research, networking and linkages
* Human Rights Policy Advisory derived from monitoring government’s compliance with the treaty obligations that the Philippines has acceded to. These are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention Against Torture and Other Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention Against Racial Discrimination (CERD), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers and their Families (CMW); Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)./PN
