THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reaffirmed on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, its commitment to strengthen human dignity for all Filipinos as the nation welcomed another year.
"The commission will remain vigilant and serve as the conscience of government whenever power is abused and rights are placed at risk," CHR said.
"At the heart of the commission’s mandate are the people it serves, particularly the weak, vulnerable, and marginalized. The resilience, compassion, and solidarity of Filipinos continue to inspire the CHR and give meaning to the pursuit of human rights," it added.
In a statement, the commission also called on all branches of government "to renew and strengthen their commitment as primary duty-bearers of human rights."
"Genuine development is not measured by economic growth alone. It is reflected in safe communities, a fair justice system, protected civic spaces, accessible social services, and the assurance that every Filipino, regardless of status, belief, or identity, can live free from fear, discrimination, and want," CHR added.
Earlier, members of civil society and rights groups marched in capital Manila as the Catholic-majority nation observed this year's 77th International Human Rights Day (IHRD), denouncing the alleged "gross human rights violations and international humanitarian law abuses."
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of rights group Karapatan, said Filipinos took to the street to express their outrage over "widespread bureaucratic corruption," particularly on the controversial government-led flood control projects.
"These scourges add to the suffering of farmers, workers, and the middle class, who are already reeling from the chronic economic crisis," Palabay said in a statement.
Judah Aliposa, regional leader of Amnesty International in Eastern Visayas, also joined the call to end rights abuses in the country.
"We have to continue to assert human rights and be vigilant," Aliposa told SunStar Philippines.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International, a London-based global rights body, said “despite the stark challenges facing humanity, every year Amnesty witnesses countless people from all over the world coming together to demonstrate the importance of activism and the life-changing power of solidarity.”
"We have a choice to make at this critical moment in history: continue to let authoritarian practices erode our freedoms or resist together and stand up for human rights. Together we will prove that, even in the most adverse of circumstances, humanity can, must and will win out," the group said during this year's IHRD observance.
Still hopeful
Pastor Irma Balaba, of the ecumenical group Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR), said the continued presence of human rights defenders "brings hope to the rights issues in the country."
"As extrajudicial killings continue, political prisoners increase, and unionists, community leaders, and government critics are silenced through red-tagging and intimidation, it becomes clear that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is not a relic of the past," Balaba said.
"Amidst the distortion of truth and the suppression of free speech and assembly, the UDHR remains a beacon, a call, and a mandate that every government and regime must follow. It is a mirror reflecting state failure when accountability is absent, and a weapon for the people when abuses occur," the pastor told SunStar Philippines.
She lauded the human rights defenders "for holding the line for justice despite efforts to silence them."
"In the Philippines, human rights defenders are often accused, surveilled, charged with trumped-up cases, and even killed—and this is proof of their critical role. They are the most effective barrier against state abuse," Balaba said. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)