The historic vote in reducing the annual budget of
the Commission on Human Rights in the House of Representatives is not yet over.
On the motion of SAGIP party-list Rodante Marcoleta, a
member of the supermajority to reduce the budget of CHR to P1,000- 119
lawmakers voted in favor . Only 32 legislators voted against the motion.
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| Senate of the Philippines (photo credit to the owner) |
The vote in the House of Representatives will not be final
since the national budget will still go scrutiny and further deliberations in
the Senate. If both versions are
different, all of which will be ironed out through a bicameral conference*
Liberal Party Senators
Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan vowed to restore if not augment, the
CHR’s annual budget for 2018 stating that the commission is a “necessity.”
Pangilinan who is the current president of the once mighty
Liberal Party, said they will not allow CHR’s budget to suffer the same fate in
Senate.
"Tututulan namin nang maigi ang pag-apruba nito sa
Senado kahit hindi maipasa ang 2018 budget at ma re-enact ang 2017
budget," he said. "Kalokohan ito."
Chito Gascon, is known to be a high ranking official of the
Liberal party, prior to President Noynoy Aquino’s appointment of him to chair
the CHR.
"With the numerous deaths and reports of police abuses,
we need the Commission on Human Rights to do its duty as mandated by the
Constitution," Aquino, a member of the Senate minority bloc, said.
Senator Francis Escudero also made a comment regarding the
reduction of the budget of CHR via twitter:
"The CHR is a constitutional imperative and a necessity, however
inconvenient it may be for some... I will fight to restore its budget!" Escudero is aligned with the supwermajority
bloc in the senate.
Senator Panfilo Lacson also took via Twitter to say his
piece regarding this issue : “I happen to be the sponsor of the CHR budget in
the Senate, along with a few other agencies like the DND, ARMM, etc. I accept
the challenge.” *
Sen. JV Ejercito, a member of the Senate
supermajority and who has been critical of the CHR in the past, said on
his Twitter account that: "CHR is a necessity, the Constitution mandates
it. Functions as a guardian against abuse of those in authority."
CHR Chairman Chito Gascon said the commission will continue to
fight for a decent budget as the deliberations move to the Senate.
“Despite these circumstances, we will not turn our backs on our
Constitutional duty to render justice for all and give everyone their due. The
concern for human rights is beyond partisanship or disagreement,” Gascon said
in a statement.
He added: “We shall seek means to move forward and navigate through the
hurdles mindful of our oath to serve the people and the Republic—because it is
what is right and what is needed of the times.”
President Duterte repeatedly threatened to abolish CHR , which has been very
critical of the killings associated with his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs .
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