The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has lamented President Duterte’s veto on an item in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2022 which would have set up the Human Rights Institute (HRI) in the country.
In a statement issued by Focal Commissioner on Human Rights Promotion Karen S. Gomez Dumpit, the CHR said:
"The CHR is saddened by the news of the President’s direct veto of the item in the GAA which seeks to help establish the HRI—a flagship program of the CHR that was launched during the 2021 Human Rights Day—to better carry forward its mandate under the 1987 Constitution 'to establish a continuing program of human rights research, education, and information to enhance the respect for the primacy of human rights.
“CHR respectfully maintains that this item appropriation is for the discharge of its constitutional mandate.
"We thank our legislators for their support for the HRI and their commitment towards the approval of our budget as a whole. This is not only a testament to the belief in the merits of the HRI but, more importantly, to ensure that CHR is enabled to independently discharge its constitutional mandates through sufficient resources.
"The HRI program had undergone a comprehensive study and review, which entailed consultations within the CHR, the broader human rights community, and other similar educational institutes and offices in government. The Institute will not cause additional burden to the government as this will be undertaken with existing resources of the Commission while harnessing its potential for collaboration and partnerships with other institutions and organizations to further support it.
"While the President’s veto is disheartening, we view this as an opportunity to press on. We shall continue to pound the walls of impunity to convey the message of human rights straight and across to our people. We are fully committed to continuously engage government and encourage them to do better as we work towards educating the people about human rights and promoting human rights of all,”
Dumpit said the establishment of the HRI is a longtime vision of previous and present commissions “in ensuring that crucial human rights education is made accessible to the people and for government personnel to better understand their role as primary duty-bearers in fulfilling human rights obligations to faithfully comply with human rights standards and principles. “
"With regards to the problems of historical revisionism, the HRI was envisioned to fight against revisionism and provide a gateway for robust human rights education programs with other government institutions," she said.