The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) acknowledges the recent signals of openness from the Philippine government, specifically in cooperating with the United Nations (UN) system and human rights mechanisms in improving the human rights situation in the country.

In light of the standing observations of the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, we echo the resolution from the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) in condemning all acts of intimidation and reprisal, both online and offline, by State and non-State actors against individuals and groups working to promote and protect human rights.

We continue to note that there are still continuing areas of cooperation in addressing what the UN has described as the climate of “widespread human rights violations and persistent impunity” in the Philippines. It is on this premise that the UN offers ‘technical assistance and capacity building’ so that we can collectively work on the different human rights violations happening in the Philippines.

While the said UN HRC resolution does not call for investigations, as members of the civil society would have hoped, the Commission remains optimistic and vigilant on what this technical cooperation between the Philippine government and UN will yield. We expect that, as this resolution provides the scope, it does not, in any way, limit the government on the steps that it can take to do more and better beyond the language of the said document in the interest of addressing the real situation on the ground.

In the coming days, we hope and expect that statements made before international partners would translate to actual cooperation and openness to domestic human rights and accountability mechanisms, including the CHR and the community of human rights defenders in the country. It is time for words to be matched with actions.

In the long view, every effort arising from this engagement should result in the reduction of violence on the ground and holding perpetrators to account. As the country’s national human rights institution, we remain steadfast in extending the hand of partnership so that, together, credible actions may be laid down for an open and truthful dialogue, supported by full cooperation of law enforcement agencies, in the interest of upholding the human rights of all.

And when cases of human rights violations surface and when perpetrators, even from the government, are identified, we expect that government’s commitment to protect human rights would also allow effective remedies and access to justice possible. For in the end, the true test of commitment is not in the grand statements made, but the improvement in the lives of the people on the ground, where everyone can be free, dignified, and respected as a human. ###