The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has acknowledged the openness of the Philippine government in cooperating with the United Nations (UN) system and human rights mechanisms in the country.
The UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) has issued a resolution condemning all acts of intimidation and reprisal, both online and offline, by government and non-government entities against individuals and groups who are simply working to promote and protect human rights.
"We continue to note that there are still continuing areas of cooperation in addressing what the UN has described as the climate of 'widespread human rights violations and persistent impunity' in the Philippines," the CHR said in a statement.
This is why the UN HRC offered "technical assistance and capacity building" so that the CHR and the government can collectively work on the different human rights violations that are currently happening.
Even though the UN HRC resolution did not call for investigations, the CHR said it will remain optimistic and vigilant on what the technical cooperation between the Philippine government and UN will yield.
"We expect that, as this resolution provides the scope, it does not, in any way, limit the government on the steps that it can take to do more and better beyond the language of the said document in the interest of addressing the real situation on the ground," the CHR said.
Should perpetrators, even from the government, be identified in this cooperation, the CHR is expecting that the government will stick with its commitment to protect human rights and observe effective remedies and access to justice.
"For in the end, the true test of commitment is not in the grand statements made, but the improvement in the lives of the people on the ground, where everyone can be free, dignified, and respected as a human," the CHR said.