Bong Go questions CHR’s ‘kindness’ to criminals

Bong Go —EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go hurled questions at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), claiming that the agency is singling out law enforcers and the administration’s drug war in its investigations.

During the Senate deliberations on the proposed 2020 budget of the CHR on Monday, Go questioned the CHR for its supposed kindness to “animals.”

“I just have an observation, why are you so kind to animals—I mean to criminals?” Go asked.

He further inquired why the CHR has supposedly been focusing on the “rights of drug lords and criminals.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who was defending the CHR’s budget, pointed out that the CHR looks into all human rights violations.

“Lahat po kasama, kasama sa mandate nila. Basta human rights violations. Meron pa nga silang women’s desk na kapag ang naging biktima involving women and children meron po sila, that’s apart from what the PNP is mandated to do,” Lacson said.

(Everyone is included in their mandate, anything involving human rights violations. They even have a women’s desk that helps abused women and children).

From May 2016 to November 2019, the CHR was able to help with 2,628 human rights cases involving 3,112 victims, Lacson noted.

Go then moved for the suspension of rules that would allow him to directly ask questions to CHR chair Chito Gascon.

“To chairman Gascon, isang tanong lang po: Anong mas importante sainyo, buhay ng inosenteng Pilipino o buhay ng mga kriminal?” the neophyte senator said.

(To chairman Gascon, just one question: What is more important for you, the lives of innocent victims or the life of a criminal?).

Gascon explained to him that the commission not only protects the rights of victims but also ensures that suspected criminals are still treated properly.

“Ibig pong sabihinin, ang mga biktima po may karapatan po sila. Pero maging mga salarin, mga suspected criminals, sang-ayon po sa ating bill of rights, e meron pong minimum treatment required,” Gascon said.

(It means that victims have rights as wells as suspected criminals, in accordance with the bill of rights.)

Independent, non-partisan oversight institution

“We call out any violations where we see it… We try and do our mandate the best we can,” Gascon said.

“Kami naman po ay parang referee, nagbabantay lang po, pipito lang po kami para sabihing ‘Teka, baka meron na tayong nalalampasan na nakalagay sa Saligang Batas’,” he added.

(We serve as referees, guards that would call out possible violations to our Constitution).

He said that the CHR also makes sure that law enforcement agencies perform their duty in accordance with the rule of law.

“Ang aming sinisigurado sa aming mandato na ipaalala sa mga law enforcement agencies na dapat pangalagaan ang mga biktima ng krimen pero dapat din siguraduhin ng law enforcement na sinusunod ang batas sa pagtrato po ng mga preso,” he said.

(Under our mandate, we make sure that law enforcement agencies protect the victims but also ensure that they also abide by the law when treating convicts).

Go then asked Gascon why the CHR is supposedly focused on chasing after law enforcement agencies every time someone dies from an anti-drug operation.

“Even the president of the Philippines hinahabol ninyo, binabatikos ninyo pag maraming namamatay na kriminal. Bakit hindi niyo naman po bigyan ng pansin yung inosenteng victim?” he said.

(You’re even after the president of the Philippines, criticizing him whenever a lot of criminals die, why don’t you take a look at the innocent victims?)

Gascon then reminded Go that the CHR is a monitoring agency and not a law enforcement institution.

“We take your comments on advisement…Ang aming pakay ay mapaalala sa ating mga partners sa gobyerno, ang law enforcement halimbawa, na ginagawa po niya ang kanyang maaaring gawin sang-ayon sa batas,” the CHR chair said.

(We take your comments on advisement…What we do is to remind our partners in the government like law enforcement agencies that they perform their duty in accordance to the law.)

“Ngayon po yung mga biktima po, kung meron pong mga biktima na kaya po namin, na maaabot po namin ay ginagawa namin ang lahat para matulungan sila,” he added.

(The victims that we can help, we do everything that we can to help them).

He also said that the CHR has a women’s rights center that helps victims of domestic abuse.

“Meron po kaming women rights center na nagko-coordinate sa iba pang mga ahensya na may pagbibigay serbisyo sa mga biktima, including DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), the PNP (Philippine National Police), etc,” he explained.

(We have a women’s rights center that coordinates with other agencies that also deal with victims)

“Nakikipagugnayan po kami para siguraduhin na silang mga victims of VOWC (violence against women and children) ay natutugunan po ng appropriate state institution,” he added.

(We coordinate with them to ensure that help from the appropriate state institution are extended to victims of VOWC).

Go then asked the CHR if it has available data on families victimized by individuals under the influence of illegal drug.

But Gascon said it has been requesting for such information from the police.

“Siguro yung data na yan, available po yan sa PNP (Maybe the PNP has available data on that). Of course, we have constantly been requesting for information and data from our partners in the police so that we can of course do our part,” he said.

Go further asked Gascon if the CHR has conducted investigation on crimes involving illegal drug suspects.

“Should these cases be brought to our attention we send out our investigation teams and they conduct investigations with the victims, question and answer, and submit a report,” Gascon explained.

“And often what we do is make referrals to the appropriate agency that are in a better position to provide assistance,” he added.

Gascon also mentioned that the commission provides legal aid to the victims and would then refer them to the Public Attorney’s Office.

“Kung dumating po sa amin (yung victims) we will assist until po meron na pong appropriate public attorney na pupwedeng tumulong sakanila, dahil maliit lang po yung aming legal aid services,” he said.

(If the victims seeks help from us, we will assist until an appropriate public attorney comes in to help them, because our legal aid services are limited).

Go also questioned why the CHR has supposedly only took a stance now about the country’s drug problem.

“This drug problem have been here since time immemorial, bakit ngayon lang nag-iingay ang CHR? Did you do anything to stop before? Pero bakit parang lumalabas na nabuhay lang ang CHR, nasan sila dati?’’ the senator said.

(This drug problem has been here since time immemorial, why is it only now that the CHR is being loud? Why does it seem that the CHR only came out now? Where were they before?).

“I’m all for due process, I’m all for accountability pero wag sana selective. There are two sides to offense, wag tayo magfocus sa isang side lang. We must be neutral,” he added.

(I’m all for due process, I’m all for accountability but, hopefully, it’s not selective. There are two sides to offense, let’s not focus on one side only. We must be neutral).

Gascon agreed with Go and said that “there are often many sides to a particular incident.”

“There are many stories, and all those stories  and narratives should be articulated. Please be assured that we don’t take sides,” he said.