After the smoke cleared, it was 119 votes against 32.
The House of Representatives ended the budget deliberations
for 2018 by giving the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) a budget of P1,000 for
the next year.
The budget is the reaction of the lawmakers for CHR’s
consistent criticisms of the Duterte Administrations brutal war on drugs. 119
lawmakers voted in favor of the move to reduced the budget of CHR to P1,000
from the Department of Budget proposed P678 million. Only 32 lawmakers voted
against the motion. *
 |
| Super Majority at work, 119 flashes president Duterte's close fist, after a successful deliberation of reducing the annual budget of CHR to P1,000 (photo credit to House of Representatives) |
1SAGIP Party-list Rodante Marcoleta moved for the P1,000
budget, as he criticized CHR for "not upholding the human rights of
everyone" and for supposedly failing to go after criminals. He also
assailed the legal basis for the creation of the CHR, arguing it was only an
executive fiat of then President Corazon Aquino which created the CHR.
Buhay Party-list representative Lito Atienza, objected to
Marcoleta’s argument, and even suggested
that CHR’s budget should be at P2 billion due to many accusations of
human rights violations under the Duterte government. And that Aquino’s
government was a revolutionary one,, that granted her the powers to create
laws.
CHR Chairman Chito Gascon was deeply saddened by the budget
cut, saying Congress' move was a "whimsical & capricious display of
vindictiveness."
"We had hoped that both the Speaker & the House
Majority would have been persuaded by reason & necessity to allocate an adequate
budget to CHR in order for us to effectively perform our constitutional mandate
as an independent office to protect human rights," he said.
Gascon, found solace from the 32 representatives that voted
against the move of their colleagues.
"We were heartened by the courage & commitment
manifested by many members of the House who stood their ground to defy the
tyranny of numbers shamelessly exhibited tonight. We are grateful to them &
draw strength from their solidarity as we press on with pursuing our mandate to
uphold & defend all the human rights of all," Gascon said. *
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has been quoted prior to the vote saying that:
"Hindi nila ginagawa yung trabaho nila. Yung mandato
nila under the Constitution, hindi nila ginagawa. Ano yun? Para protektahan
yung karapatang pantao ng lahat ng tao, hindi lang noong mga
kriminal," the speaker said in an interview on CNN Philippines.
"Kapag mayroong mga victims na hindi ano…itong mga
victims mismo ng human rights, ayaw nilang magsalita, wala man lang silang
programa para doon sa mga biktima. Pero kapag yung rights ng mga kriminal, ay maingay
sila," said the Speaker.
"Bakit, hindi ba, noong mayroong na-massacre, mayroon
ba silang sinabi? May comment ba sila, mayroon ba silang simpatya man lang,
wala," said Alvarez, using the massacre of a family of five in Bulacan
months ago as a case in point.
Gascon should RESIGN
During an ambush interview, Commission on Human Rights
Commissioner Gwen Pimentel Gana confirmed that House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
told her during their recent meeting that the CHR's budget would be approved if
Gascon stepped down from his post.
"He [Alvarez] just expressed his feelings the same way
he said to the public, that he intends to pursue the P1,000 budget for the CHR
and, of course, he did mention that if the chair [Gascon] would step down, then
probably the budget would be increased or given to the CHR," she said. *
Gascon refused to resign and instead thanked the 32
lawmakers who objected to the budget cut.
"Many of us were teary-eyed…I became teary-eyed
because these were tears of joys…that there was so many who stood up, not the
majority, but so many. In fact, many of those at the first stage who didn't
vote 'aye' but had to stand up later also approached us," he said.
Gascon explained that life goes on for the CHR since the
budget bill still has to go through the Senate and the bicameral conference
committee before it is signed by the President.
"The commission will continue to operate so long as
the Constitution operates. Despite this defeat in the House, we look forward to
defending our budget in the Senate and we hope that reason...will prevail both
at the Senate as well as in the bicameral conference committee," he said.
reports from abs-cbn website & philstar
0 comments