CHR to PNP: Gov’t will address the problem of jail congestion
Even without lobbying, the government is expected to remain true to its mandate of guaranteeing the rights and dignity of all.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) made this pronouncement after the Philippine National Police (PNP) urged the Commission to help in addressing the problem of jail congestion.
“CHR will continue to remind the government of the human rights standards and obligations,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement on Thursday.
“But it is expected that, even without lobbying, the government remains true to its mandate of guaranteeing the rights and dignity of all,” she added.
De Guia noted that the jail congestion in the country “goes beyond challenges in infrastructure.”
“Such problems point to larger and deeper problems on how human rights are regarded today,” she added.
She said that in the past, the CHR has gone beyond lobbying to ensure that the rights of persons deprived of liberty are equally protected.
“CHR has projects with government institutions and civil society groups; conducted studies, with one in partnership in partnership with PNP in 2015; and issued advisories and position papers to ensure that the government is well-guided on human rights standards-and yet violations still exist up until this day,” she said.
De Guia reminded that “protecting and upholding human rights is, without challenge, a primary state obligation.”
“And as an obligation, it is expected that the government exerts all efforts in its fulfilment even the rights of those who have run in conflict with the law, as guaranteed by the constitution,” she added. /muf
