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Philippines

 
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Philippines Commission on Human Rights

Membership: Full Member
Admitted: 1996 (Founding Member)

The Philippines Constitution of 1987 (Article XIII, Section 17) created the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines as an independent office with a mandate to promote the protection, respect for and enhancement of human rights.

The Commission has defined human rights as the supreme, inherent and inalienable rights to life, to dignity and to self development. It has identified two main areas in pursuit of its mandate - human rights protection and human rights promotion.

Protection involves investigation of all cases of human rights violations and the delivery of legal services including referral of cases to the proper agencies - to all victims.

Promotion refers to the Commission's function to inform and educate the Philippine community on human rights values, principles and laws. The Commission is actively conducting human rights advocacy courses for police and military officers and teachers' training seminars for public school teachers nationwide.


Commission Members

Atty. Leila M. De Lima
Chairperson

Cecilia Rachel V. Quisumbing
Commissioner

Maria Victoria V. Cardona
Commissioner

Jose Manuel S. Mamauag
Commissioner

Norberto Dela Cruz
Commissioner


Legal Framework

Constitutional foundation

Philippines Constitution - Article XIII (1987)

Enabling legislation

Executive Order No. 163 (1987)

Philippines: Human rights of Morong 43 violated

The Commission on Human Rights has confirmed the torture and illegal arrest of 43 people by the mili

 

Philippines: Respect rights during gun ban

The Commission on Human Rights has asked the police to respect human rights when they enforce a gun

 

Philippines: Set up polling places for detainees

The Commission on Human Rights has urged the Commission on Elections to create special polling place

 

Philippines: CHR to be given power to prosecute rights violations

The Commission on Human Rights will soon have the power to prosecute human rights violators under it

 

Philippines: CHR to look into new wave of Davao killings

Human Rights Commissioner Leila de Lima said it was too early to tell if the new killings in the cit

 

Philippines: Committee approves anti-torture bill

The bicameral conference committee has approved the reconciled version of a measure seeking to end t

 

Philippines: Senate bill seeks to empower CHR

A bill has been filed in the Senate which aims to grant prosecutorial powers to the Commission on Hu

 

Philippines: CHR urges Arroyo to certify human rights bills

The Commission on Human Rights has urged President Arroyo to show her commitment to the protection o

 

Philippines: CHR launches rights database

The Commission on Human Rights will launch a computer-based management information system to help it

 

Jacqueline Meija, Philippines CHR

January 2009: “It’s a job I love because you can make a positive difference in the broader commu

 

Commissioner High Level Dialogue, Philippines

A new APF program will provide members of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights with an opportu

 

Philippines: CHR vows to promote gay, lesbian rights

The chief of the Commission on Human Rights has vowed to promote the rights and welfare of lesbians,

 

Philippines: CHR wants power to rule on cases

Tired of being a "toothless tiger," the Commission on Human Rights wants to become a quasi-judicial

 

Philippines: CHR to study delay on torture convention

The Philippines Commission on Human Rights has expressed concerned at a Government proposal to defer

 

Prevention of Torture Workshop - Philippines

A torture prevention training workshop was held in Manila on 23 and 24 September 2008 on the impleme

 

Civilians killed, displaced in Philippines fighting

September 2008: Up to 500,000 people are enduring poor health services and unsanitary conditions aft

 

Philippines: Ratify ASEAN Charter, says CHR

The Philippines, particularly the Senate, should join the seven other members of the Association of

 

Philippines, NZ launch joint human rights project

The national human rights commissions of the Philippines and New Zealand have launched a three-year

 

Philippines: CHR probes Australian mining firm

The Commission on Human Rights is looking into alleged human rights violations committed against ind

 

Philippines: CHR to establish independent forensic centre

Commission on Human Rights Chair Leila de Lima said she will establish an independent Forensic Cente

 

Philippines: Probe into extrajudicial killings in Eastern Visayas

Records of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights show about 50 extrajudicial killings in differ

 

Innovative partnership helps Philippine communities meet human rights challenges

A three year partnership between two national human rights commissions has recently been launched wi

 

Philippines: Government falls short on rights

The Commission on Human Rights has given its evaluation of the government's human rights record for

 

ASEAN commits to human rights body

December 2007: ASEAN's leaders sign an historic agreement to set up a regional human rights body.

 

Establishing national institutions: Asian nations meet

Bangladesh, Camdodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore and Vietnam were among the countries

 
News
The Commission on Human Rights has confirmed the torture and illegal arrest of 43 people by the military in Morong, Rizal, on 6 February.
The Commission on Human Rights has asked the police to respect human rights when they enforce a gun ban during the upcoming election period, which started 10 January.
The Commission on Human Rights has urged the Commission on Elections to create special polling places to accommodate the 23,000 detainees who registered to vote in the May 2010 elections.
 
THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS ©2010

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