MANILA, Philippines- Kinuwestiyon ng Human Rights Watch (HRW) ang hindi pasama sa Commission of Human Rights (CHR) sa special committee na nilikha ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na nilalayong palakasin ang human rights protection at promotion sa bansa.
Iginiit ni HRW Asia Division senior researcher Carlos Conde na walang member-government agencies ng Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination “have distinguished themselves combatting rights violations, including thousands of extrajudicial killings in the ‘war on drugs’ since 2016.”
Batay sa Administrative Order No. 22, nilagdaan ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin noong May 8, pamumunuan ng Office of the Executive Secretary ang komite, at co-chaired ng Department of Justice (DOJ).
Kabilang sa iba pang miyembro ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Samantala, magsisilbi naman ang Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC) na secretariat ng body.
Binanggit ni Conde na ang CHR, nilikha sa ilalim ng 1987 Constitution upang magsagawa ng imbestigasyon sa human rights violations, ay hindi kabilang sa special committee, at sinabing ang CHR ay “in the best position” upang isagawa ang mga tungkulin ng komite.
“If Marcos were serious about improving human rights protections and accountability for abuses, he would seek an expanded role for the CHR, including by ensuring they were part of the new special committee. He would also create a clear role for the involvement of nongovernmental human rights groups,” wika ni Conde.
Sa kasalukuyan ay wala pang komento ang Malacañang ukol dito. RNT/SA
