Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to clarify its stand on abortion warning that their executive director’s stand pushing for its decriminalization, is dangerous.

Cayetano pointed this out during the Senate’s plenary debate on the proposed budget of the CHR for 2024 where he expressed his disappoinment to an earlier statement made by CHR Executive Director Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia advocating for the decriminalization of abortion.

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, who was defendign the CHR’s budget, said the statement was made during the 5^th Commission of the CHR under the late then-Chairperson Chito Gascon.

But the current commission, which is under Chairperson Richard Paat Palpal-latoc, has not yet taken a stand on the issue, Estrada noted.

Such statement, Cayetano said is “dangerous,” and the Commission should be mindful that it is representing the Philippines especially when giving a sensitive stance on issues like abortion.

“Can ambassadors give a different position from the position of their State? If I am an ambassador, and I am called by the US president, am I duty bound to give my position or the position of my government and my State?” he asked.

Though employees may express their personal views on the matter, abortion is not one of the issues the CHR workers should be advocating for.

“As far as abortion is concerned, it is settled in our Philippine Constitution,” he added, citing Article 2 Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution which says, “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.”

“Our Constitution is quite unique kasi sinabi na (it says) ‘life starts at conception’... Meaning (to say), the executive director of a very sensitive commission is giving her own opinion which is contrary to the Philippine Constitution. How come there is no outrage from the Commission that there is such a statement?” Cayetano said.

In response, de Guia claimed that her statement was only pushing for the decriminalization of abortion particularly when the life of the mother is in danger, but the senator, however, said it was a “weak excuse.”

“Pag dine-criminalize mo, (para mong sinabi na) pwede na ‘yun (If you decriminalize it, it’s like saying that’s okay). How can you protect the unborn if you’re not going to put any penalty to people who abort the fetus o baby? Jaywalking nga lang mayroon tayong penalty, eh (Even with jaywalking we impose a penalty),” he pointed out. 

Estrada agreed with Cayetano’s stance and then moved to defer deliberations on the budget of the CHR. 

“We are 24 members here and we belong to different religions. We have a Muslim here, a Catholic, we have Christians and Protestants here. I think all of us agree that all of us are against abortion,” Estrada said.

“Mr. President, I move that we defer first the deliberation of the budget of CHR until they come up with a strong stand against abortion,” he said.