CHR opens freedom park to honor human rights defenders

In celebration of the International Human Rights Day & 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today, 10 December 2018, the @chrgovph holds its flag raising ceremony at the Liwasang Diokno. #HumanRightsDay #Standup4humanrights #UDHR70 #HRFestPH pic.twitter.com/r42GZzjcBn

— CHR Philippines (@chrgovph) December 10, 2018

MANILA, Philippines — In line with the country’s celebration of Human Rights Day, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) opened on Monday a freedom park to honor those who fought against human rights violation.

Dubbed as the Liwasang Diokno, the CHR commemorated the heroic act of late Senator Jose ‘Ka Pepe’ Diokno, whom the agency tagged as a “symbol of freedom, democracy, and human rights.”

Diokno was one of those individuals who fought to attain democracy in the country during the Martial Law era under the Marcos administration.

With the opening of the Liwasang Diokno at the central office of CHR in Quezon City, the human rights group urged the public to continue to be more active in defending the human rights.

“We must take a stand for our rights and the rights of others, lest we lose it to those who seek to curtail them,” CHR said in a release.

The freedom park has a 30-tier fountain in its center, symbolizing the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The 30 articles of the UDHR “continues to be the conscience of mankind in affirming the foundational values of freedom, justice, and peace in the world,” the commission said.

Meanwhile, a statue of Diokno was also installed inside the park with the approval of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. /je