Bill protecting human-rights defenders gets House panel nod

Rep. Edcel Lagman

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives committee on human rights approved a bill that seeks to protect human-rights defenders (HRDs) from threats and harassment as a result of their related activities.

Lawmakers supportive of the proposal, like principal author and Albay 2nd District Rep. Edcel Lagman, said on Tuesday that the consolidated version of the proposed Human Rights Defenders Protection Act (HRDPA) would mandate the government to protect HRDs.

The House committee, headed by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, approved on Tuesday the substitute bills to the measures authored by Lagman, and Makabayan bloc lawmakers Reps. Raoul Manuel, France Castro, and Arlene Brosas.

“The substitute bill is largely based on the Model Law for the Recognition and Protection of Human Rights Defenders with respect to the rights of HRDs and the corresponding duties and obligations of the State and public authorities,” Lagman said.

“The tragic plight of Filipino HRDs as a result of the relentless persecution against them by the government shamefully aggravates the State’s culpable non-compliance with the constitutional mandate that the ‘State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights,’” he added.

Abante meanwhile said that it is important for human rights workers to be able to work without fear of retribution.

“For them to be effective, HR defenders need to work in a safe and enabling environment, and that is what we want to cultivate with the passage of this measure,” Abante said.

“This measure makes it clear that we stand steadfastly behind those who work to champion human rights and shows the world that we will do what is necessary to enable human rights to flourish in our country,” he added.

According to Abante, the HRDPA would protect the following rights of HRDs:

• Right to promote and protect human rights
• Right to form groups, associations and organizations
• Right to seek and receive and disseminate Information
• Right to communicate with non-governmental governmental and intergovernmental organizations
• Right  to  peaceful  assembly
• Right  to  freedom  of  movement
• Right  to  privacy
• Right against vilification

The bill, if enacted, would also establish a Human Rights Defenders Protection Committee, which will be composed of a chairperson and six members.  The chairperson would come from the Commissioners of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

The six members, meanwhile, will be nominated by representatives, with two each from the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (Karapatan), Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), and the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).

The nominees will be appointed by the CHR en banc.

This is not the first time, however that a bill seeking to protect HRDs was filed before Congress.  Last January 2022, a similar bill filed by Lagman was approved on the third and final reading.

However, it was not enacted due to time constraints. With reports from Meralyn Melitante, trainee

RELATED STORIES:

House approves bill to protect human rights defenders in PH 

Makabayan refiles own version of bill protecting human rights defenders 

Int’l watchdog calls on Senate to pass Human Rights Defenders Act 

JPV