Select ‘qualified, independent’ human rights experts for CHR, Bongbong Marcos urged
President-elect Bongbong Marcos. Screengrab from Facebook / BBM
MANILA, Philippines — President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should appoint “independent” human rights experts with proven track records to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the international group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday.
In a statement, HRW likewise urged Marcos to ensure a transparent and inclusive process in selecting commissioners for the CHR.
“President-elect Marcos should appoint commissioners with proven track records of defending human rights,” HRW Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said.
“Given the grave human rights situation in the Philippines, these new commissioners should be independent and strongly committed to fearlessly and impartially upholding the commission’s mandate and duties,” he added.
The HRW said that the appointment of the new commissioners to the CHR would serve as an “important first test” to the Marcos administration’s commitment to upholding human rights.
“Marcos is in a strong position to set the Commission on Human Rights in a positive direction for the next seven years by selecting independent, credible rights advocates as commissioners,” Robertson said.
“By building up rather than tearing down the commission, Marcos would help dispel people’s fears about human rights under his administration,” he added.
According to the CHR website, the commission was created as a response to human rights violations committed during martial law when Marcos’ father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was in power.
CHR commissioners are appointed to seven-year terms and cannot be re-appointed. The last group of commissioners’ term ended in May.
However, outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte cannot appoint the new commissioners as he is prohibited from appointing people to executive positions within two months before the presidential election.
This means that it will be up to Marcos to appoint the next batch of CHR commissioners.
The HRW said Marcos should convene an independent search committee that will come up with a short list of candidates for commissioners.
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