Lawmaker: CHR needs to prove worth, impartiality

ZAMBOANGA City Second District Representative Celso Lobregat said the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has to prove its worth and impartiality in handling cases of human rights violations.

Lobregat said this was the reason why he supported the position of the House of Representatives’ leadership to just allocate P1,000 budget to the CHR for the year 2018.

Lobregat said the CHR should also investigate thoroughly the human rights violations of the enemies of the state and “not to pin down the law enforcers likes policemen and soldiers who maintain peace and order and defending the country.”

Lobregat noted that the CHR has not taken actions on human rights violations committed by the terrorists and rebels such as in the case of the 2013 Zamboanga siege, the 2015 Mamasapano incident, and the Marawi crisis.

He also cited that the beheading of soldiers and kidnappings in Mindanao are among the human rights violations committed by terrorists and rebels that were not acted upon by the CHR.

He said the issue is not about the agency itself, but about the position and functions of the head of CHR and its personnel who are reportedly getting bias with the judgment on the present intensified campaign against illegal drugs of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)