House panel formed to merge rights defenders bills

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The House of Representatives’ human rights panel on Tuesday approved the creation of a technical working group to harmonize two bills which seek to define and protect the rights of human rights defenders in the country.

This developed two years after House Bill No. 1617 was filed on July 14, 2016, by the Makabayan bloc, and several Congresses after original versions of the proposed measure were filed.

The second bill, House Bill 8128, was filed by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman last Aug. 16.

HB 1617 stipulates the following rights of human rights defenders:

• right to promote and protect human rights
• right to information about human rights
• right to participate in public affairs
• right to provide paralegal or legal assistance
• right to unhindered access to communication with human rights bodies
• right against vilification
• right to participate in activities against human rights violations
• right to solicit, receive and utilize resources
• right to file an action involving human rights violations (with human rights organizations or associations as complainants)
• right to access documents of government units and personnel, paramilitary units and personnel, and military affiliate and government assets

Section 20 of the bill also states that a human rights defender can ask the prosecutor or the court to dismiss a criminal complaint or information filed against him/her “on the ground that the said complainant/information is necessarily related to his/her work as such human rights defender.”

It also compels the government to take all measures to ensure the protection of all human rights defenders against any violence, threats, retaliation, discrimination, pressure, or any other action as a consequence of their rights and duties as human rights defenders.

In his explanatory note, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate noted how human rights defenders in the Philippines face human rights violations themselves in the course of their work.

The bill was also a refiled version of the Human Rights Defenders’ Protection Bill by former Rep. Satur Ocampo during the 14th Congress. The bill was also refiled during the 16th Congress. /cbb