The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) cited the "significant decrease" in illegal drugs-related human rights violations since the start of the administration of President Marcos. 

However, the CHR human rights violations such as those involving extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and violence against women and children "were more or less the same."

During the "Public Inquiry on the Current Situation of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) with focus on incidents of Red-Tagging" held on Monday, July 29, at the CHR Central Office in Quezon City, Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc cited the "openness" of the current administration in dealing with human rights concerns.

"We observed there was a change in the relationship of the CHR with the executive department because of the openness of the government in dealing with the commission," said Palpal-latoc.

This contributed to the "big difference" in drug-related violations being committed "although there are still some being recorded," he said. 

Palpal-latoc has welcomed the current administration's cooperation with the CHR, which he said led to the signing of several memoranda of agreement (MOA) with government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and others.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Beda Angeles Epres said she noticed the positive changes of the current administration compared to the previous one when it comes to dealings with the CHR. 

While the previous administration kept most, if not all, data under a heavy veil, Epres said that agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Justice (DOJ) are now more cooperative.

"When we ask for documents from them, when we ask for data [and] figures of human rights violations, binibigyan po kami (they provide it to us). So at least po ngayon namomonitor namin [ang human rights situation] (now we get to monitor the human rights situation)," Epres also said.