Philippines vows to uphold human rights

FILIPINO GOVERNMENT officials led by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla briefed foreign diplomats on the progress of the government’s commitments under the UN Joint Programme (UNJP) on Human Rights.

Remulla together with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Undersecretary Severo Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) assured the diplomatic community that the Philippines is committed to protect human rights, among others.

A photo released by the Department of Justice shows Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla meeting with the U.S. Congressional delegation led by Sen. Edward Markey to promote transparency in government and discuss policies on how to improve the country’s human rights system.

Remulla said the government would continue with its human rights commitments even with more vigor and enthusiasm. “When I took the helm of the DOJ last month, I bared plans to boost the efficiency of the country’s criminal justice system. Since the UNJP’s launch last year, the DOJ continued to embark on inclusive consultations on the improved functioning of the AO 35 Mechanisms or the Inter-Agency Committee that addresses extra-legal killings and other grave violations of human rights,” he said.

He said the Department of Justice’s work in the context of the UNJP is not new but a reiteration and reaffirmation of its commitment to constant self-improvement in the area of strengthening domestic mechanisms and processes relating to the rule of law, accountability, and human rights.

In fact, Remulla said several complaints for murder, perjury and planting of evidence against police officers involved in the war on drugs are currently being investigated by the prosecution offices.

Manalo said the briefing was part of the government’s long-standing tradition of open dialogue and constructive engagement with the international community on human rights.  He highlighted that the ultimate strength of the UNJP is that the commitments undertaken by the Philippines are not extraneous to, but in fact are core, to the functions of the government and to its programming.

“In a span of a year, the UNJP has made significant headway in fostering consensus building and collaborative partnerships in a broad spectrum of target areas under the UNJP,” he said.

For his part, Catura said the PHRCS is focused on the Executive Department, ensuring the compliance of all government bodies under it with human rights obligations pursuant to domestic laws and international human rights law.  This, he pointed out, attests to the seriousness of the State in putting human rights as a pillar of effective governance.

Catura also discussed the progress of commitments under the UNJP including the development on the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up tracking database, Human Rights Recording, Analysis, Information System, and Enforcement of the Philippine National Police - Human Rights Affairs Office, Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy, and proposals on localizing human rights desk protection mechanisms.

Signed between the Philippines and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in July 2021, the UNJP seeks to focus on technical cooperation and capacity-building on the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.  Through the UNJP, the Philippine government leverages its long-standing, open and constructive engagement with the UN system and external partners to support this robust national multi-stakeholder process. (Mindanao Examiner)