The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has formally sent a letter to the Senate declaring its opposition to decriminalizing abortion.

In his letter to Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, CHR chairperson Richard Palpal-Latoc said the CHR strictly adheres to the 1987 Constitution that specifically upholds the right to human life and the need to protect the life of the mother and the life of an unborn child.

A copy of the letter was also given to Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.

“The Commission on Human Rights considers paramount the right to life,” Palpal-Latoc said in his letter.

“The Commission similarly adheres to the 1987 Philippine Constitution specifically, to ‘equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception,’ and is therefore, against abortion, save for extreme circumstances,” he reiterated.

“As the national human rights institution of the country, we shall continue to support the international human rights framework, its mechanisms and recommendations, including the rights of women,” the CHR chief added.

Estrada had earlier threatened to give the CHR “zero” budget under the 2024 national budget should it refuse to clarify its stand on the issue of abortion.

This was after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano confronted the Commission over its vague stance on the issue, prompting the Senate to defer discussions on the CHR’s proposed budget for next year.

Cayetano expressed his disappointment with an earlier statement made by CHR Executive Director Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia advocating for the decriminalization of abortion in the country.

Both senators opposed this as they argued that the CHR is bound by the Constitution and has no right to issue a stand opposite to that.

With the CHR’s letter to the Senate clarifying its anti-abortion stance, the Upper Chamber will resume discussions on the Commission’s budget on Monday, November 20.