CHR issues firm stand vs abortion

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday officially stated that it is against abortion after the Senate deferred its deliberation on the agency’s proposed 2024 budget after learning that one of its officials supports decriminalization of abortion.  

“CHR considers paramount the right to life. The Commission similarly adheres to the 1987 Philippine Constitution specifically, to equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception, and is therefore, against abortion, save for extreme circumstances,” said the commission in a letter sent to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Zubiri said the upper chamber might resume tackling the budget of CHR at the Senate plenary on Monday. 

READ: If CHR won’t make stand vs abortion, it may have zero budget — Estrada

Earlier, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, sponsor of CHR’s budget for 2024, stated that he would push for the provision of zero funding for the CHR if it does not come up with a definite position against abortion.

Estrada stressed that he would no longer sponsor the allocation if CHR insists that there is a need to decriminalize abortion.