CHR chief ends term, cites failures

MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing Commission on Human Rights chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing yesterday noted the CHR’s failure to find disappeared persons as among the constitutional body’s shortcomings in efforts to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.

She also cited the many accomplishments of the Third Commission under her helm, including investigations and public hearings on the spate of extrajudicial killings, Ortigas shooting incident, and so-called Bicutan siege; the conduct of human rights education for the police and military; promotion of women’s and children’s rights; integration of human rights education in schools; and denouncing of the Arroyo administration’s calibrated preemptive response (CPR) policy, among others.

At the sidelines of the 21st founding anniversary of the CHR, which incidentally also marked the end of the Third Commission’s seven-year term, Quisumbing gave the CHR a score of 7 (with 10 being the highest) in the performance of its duties to uphold human rights in the country.

She believed that the CHR “could have done more” if appropriate government policies and laws were put in place to strengthen its authority.

“What is our failure? We can’t find the disappeared. We wish we could find them, including Mr. (Jonas) Burgos (son of the late press freedom icon Jose Burgos Jr.)... We hoped we can use the CHR effectively to find him,” Quisumbing told reports during an interview.

“But that is why we need to strengthen the mandate of the CHR... Like the Commission on Civil Service (CCS), we should be able to discharge decision, to pronounce with finality whether a violation of human rights was made,” she also said.

Similarly, Quisumbing gave the Arroyo government a score of 7 (with 10 being the highest) in its compliance to and performance of obligations to advocate and protect human rights.

She said the three branches of government cannot be given a perfect rating even if it might have done something to assure that human rights in the country are being upheld.

“At least now, the government is somehow roused or stimulated (natauhan) to tackle this issue seriously (due to the efforts of the CHR, the civil society, and Alston findings)… The judgment on government should be on different levels and different branches,” she noted.

Nevertheless, she lamented that the Arroyo government was not able to address promptly the issue on extrajudicial killings. She said that it was only recently that the government stepped up its efforts on the matter.

Quisumbing likewise criticized the Arroyo administration for its failure to observe and enforce laws that have always been in existence to make sure that human rights in the country are promoted and protected.