Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Leila de Lima said she will establish an independent Forensic Center for the organisatioin to improve its investigative expertise.

De Lima - who took her oath of office as CHR chair before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday morning - said the CHR is presently "very dependent" on the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and private experts for the CHR's forensic needs.

At the same time, De Lima said she will set up a program to improve the forensic technical skills of CHR personnel. This, she explained, will help remedy the "lack of witnesses which is always the problem in human rights cases."

President Arroyo had been calling on concerned government agencies to hasten the investigation and resolution of human rights cases.

The CHR head added that the CHR will focus on monitoring the government's compliance with its obligations in "at least eight core" international human rights treaties.

The CHR will also "revitalize" the Barangay Human Rights Action Centers to promote human rights awareness in the grassroots level, especially about the human-rights provisions of various laws.

Date 6 June 2008

Source: Philippine Information Agency