A total of 174 out of 291 beneficiaries of compensation for human rights violations approved in 2020 have not received their financial assistance, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on Tuesday, June 1.

The CHR said the unreleased financial assistance is "intact" and will be released immediately once the requirements have been met. It asked beneficiaries who have not received the funds to visit their offices.

Spokesperson and lawyer Jacqueline Ann de Guia said the CHR is mandated to provide compensation to victims of human rights violations.

"Granting financial assistance is an acknowledgment from the government that a wrong has been done. The amount given is based on relevant laws and present guidelines of CHR and, in a way, envisioned to help encourage survivors pursue legal cases in court towards attaining justice," De Guia said.

To avoid "malicious assertions" on the delay in the release of financial assistance, De Guia explained the processes involved in the commission’s investigation of reported human rights violations and the corresponding release of financial support to those qualified.

"This begins with understanding that CHR may investigate alleged cases of human rights violations upon receipt of complaints or through motu proprio investigations (those carried out based on our own initiative)," she said.

She pointed out that a resolution will then be issued by the investigating CHR office, and it will include recommended actions and, if a human rights violation has been established, may also contain a recommendation for the grant of financial assistance.

In cases when complainants are identified, the release of the compensation may be easily done, she stressed.

However, De Guia said that there are challenges in a motu proprio investigation because they have to determine the whereabouts of the victims who have either changed their contact information or moved to other places without informing the CHR out of fear for their own safety.

Even if complainants or victims were already identified, she pointed out that there are documents that are more challenging for the beneficiaries to provide due to the restrictions posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and these documents are necessary for the CHR to justify the validity of the release of the public funds.

"We assure the public that corrective measures are already being implemented for situations within our control, including our investigators doing their level best in securing the permanent contact details of the victims and, if possible, asking in advance the documentary requirements necessary in the processing of the said financial assistance," she said.

"Processes and fund programming have being refined, as also advised by the COA (Commission on Audit), to increase the number of beneficiaries to fully attain the purpose of the grants and ensure that government humanitarian services are timely received by those concerned," she added.