Statement of the Commission on Human Rights expressing concern over the 176 bodies of persons deprived of liberty unclaimed in a funeral home
The recent discovery of alleged 176 bodies of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) stored and unclaimed in a funeral home since December 2021 is a cause for serious concern for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The unclaimed bodies were discovered in the course of the ongoing investigation into the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid. […]
Statement of the Commission on Human Rights on the CPP-NPA owning full accountability for the mine blast and death of two civilians in Masbate
Owning up to a crime is not enough to realise justice and accountability. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) demands greater accountability following the statement of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) taking “full responsibility” for the death of Keith Absalon and his cousin, Nolven Absalon, after a […]
Statement of CHR spokesperson, Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia, welcoming the PNP’s cooperation with the DOJ in investigating 7,000 cases of alleged deaths during anti-drug operations
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s expression of close cooperation with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in investigating 7,000 cases involving alleged deaths linked to police anti-drug operations. This initial pronouncement, which will soon be formalized into a memorandum of agreement, is a positive development. The collaboration between the […]
Statement of CHR spokesperson, Atty. Jacqueline de Guia, on the deaths of Parojinog siblings in detention
Former Ozamiz City councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog died in his detention cell in Ozamiz police station last 4 September 2020. Citing results of a medical examination, Northern Mindanao Police Director PBGen Rolando Anduyan said that the cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease.” Parojinog had been detained at the PNP Custodial Center […]
Statement of the Commission on Human Rights on reported deaths inside prisons and detention facilities due to Covid-19
Prisons and detention facilities in the Philippines are among the direst places in the country. As of March 2020, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) cites a 534% prison congestion rate, with some of the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) being detained while awaiting trial. While, in December 2019, the Bureau of Corrections […]
Statement of CHR Spokesperson, Atty Jacqueline Ann de Guia, on the rising number of inmates’ deaths under police custody
The Commission on Human Rights is alarmed by the PNP Internal Affairs Service’s (IAS) report that more than 450 inmates have died under police custody under the current administration, including the recent deaths of eight inmates inside the New Bilibid Prison due to dehydration. The appalling situation of inmates in over-congested and dilapidated detention facilities […]