Friday, June 06, 2008 CHR chief bats for creation of independent forensics center
COMMISSION on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima is pushing for the creation of an independent forensics center to aid in the prosecution of human rights violators.
"In terms of improving the investigative power of the CHR, we will push for independent forensics center because right now we are very dependent on other agencies like the PNP (Philippine National Police), NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and private firms that are experts. We don't have our own experts," said de Lima.
The CHR chief issued the statement after taking her oath of office before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang Thursday morning.
"It's (the absence of a forensics center) always a problem for a successful prosecution of human rights violations although we don't do prosecution, we do fact-finding investigations which is part of our investigative power and we would want to increase forensic and technical skills for our experts here," she said.
De Lima, an election lawyer, said the CHR is now closely monitoring the government's compliance with at least eight international human rights treaties.
Another tact it will take is "revitalizing" the Barangay Human Rights Action Centers, "to increase awareness at the grassroots level."
Malacañang brushed aside Amnesty International's warning of a new surge in extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines. It is even expecting a favorable reaction from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission (PHRC), said since the government has gained headway in fighting the culture of impunity in the country, they are confident that the UNHRC would consider the PHRC's report on the human rights situation in the country.
Ermita also noted that last year, the cases of extrajudicial killings dropped by as big as 83 percent.
UN special rapporteur Philip Alston will report his findings on the country's human rights situation on June 9 before the UNHRC makes its final conclusions.
The UNHRC initially reviewed the Philippines' human rights performance last April.
The Philippines sent Ermita to New York last October to meet with the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to defend the country's human rights record in anticipation of a damaging report by Alston.
Ermita, who was accompanied by then Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chief
Purificacion Quisumbing, told the international body that the government is exerting efforts to solve the cases of extrajudicial killings.
He also said some of the killings were perpetrated by the New People's Army (NPA) as part of its internal purge. (JMR/Sunnex)
