Marcos urged to follow international rules in appointing CHR leadership

MANILA, Philippines — There are international standards to be observed in choosing the next top officials of the Commission of Human Rights, national human rights institutions reminded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is yet to appoint the constitutional office's next chair.

Such standards, stated in the Paris Principles, guide national leaders on the work of institutional human rights commissions to help ensure their independence.

The Principles include the minimum requirements for the process of appointing leaders of national rights bodies such as the CHR.

Vacancies, for example, are recommended to be advertised widely and the merit-based selection of officials are done through consultations with civil society groups.

The standards, albeit non-binding, were endorsed in the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.

For the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, Marcos' observance of global standards in the appointment process would be seen as a gesture of good faith.

“Doing so would indicate a commitment by the government of the Philippines to the institutional protection and promotion of human rights for all Filipinos,” said Australian lawyer Rosalind Croucher, chair of the forum, said in a statement.

Croucher also said Marcos' role in appointing the next CHR leadership is an "important responsibility."

"An effective [national human rights institution] relies on a strong, dedicated, and capable leadership to ensure it fulfills its mandate to protect and promote human rights," Croucher, who served as president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, added.

Marcos has taken over a government which, in the past six years, has been criticized for instigating a "human rights crisis." The administration of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, acknowledges more than 6,500 deaths in the conduct of a police-led drug war.

Duterte, who had openly rebuked the CHR, faces investigation and accusations before the International Criminal Court over the killings in the crackdown on drugs. — with reports from Dawn Danielle Solano