Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo re-assured the judiciary’s commitment to uphold and protect human rights.

“We declare that in the Supreme Court and in the entire Judiciary, there will be no intolerance, bigotry, and prejudice; but only respect, acceptance, and equality,” Gesmundo said.

The world commemorates today, Dec. 10, the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

UDHR proclaimed “the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being -- regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

Of the 30 human rights under UDHR, many consider the five most important rights as “the right to life, the right to a fair trial, freedom from torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the rights to health, education and an adequate standard of living.”

The Philippine judiciary started its commemoration of the Human Rights Day last Dec. 6 with the unveiling of a marker at the SC’s lobby to memorialize the adoption of UDHR 74 years ago.

In his message, Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, chairperson of the SC’s Committee on Human Rights, said that “human rights “consist not only of a penumbra of autonomies for the individual—it can also be framed as part of our duties to each other, our communities, and our societies.”

Leonen said that “human rights, in a sense, also include our duty to respect not only the individual, but also collective freedoms.”

In 2023, Leonen said the SC’s human rights committee will move for the approval of the Writ of Kalayaan which can assist various individuals and communities as well as call the attention of specific courts regarding the condition of the country’s jails and detention centers.

He also said his committee “will also review the contents, impact, and operations of the writs of Amparo, habeas data, and habeas corpus, and it will do so in a consultative manner, involving not only the basic sectors but government as well as uniformed services.”

“Further, within the first half of next year, and based on the data so far collected from the deaths and threats in the past years, it will make recommendations to the Court En Banc as to how to further protect lawyers and judges,” he said.

With the unveiling of the marker, Leonen said “the Supreme Court celebrates its commitment to do more.”

The summaries of the messages delivered by Chief Justice Gesmundo and Senior Associate Justice Leonen, including the photo of the unveiling of the marker, were provided by the SC’s public information office (PIO).

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