Human rights important, German lawmaker tells PH pols

A member of Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, told Philippine lawmakers on Thursday that human rights “should never be taken for granted,” citing a positive correlation between human rights protection and high living standards.

In his remarks before the House of Representative human rights committee, Martin Patzelt, a member of the Bundestag’s committee on human rights and international aid, did not directly address President Duterte’s bloody war on illegal drugs and his belligerent attitude toward human rights advocates.

 Never take it for granted

Instead, the German official, speaking through an interpreter, stressed the importance of human rights in a democratic society.

“Human rights should never be taken for granted, neither in your country nor in our country. Human rights constantly have to be defended, and we need constant effort to achieve them,” Patzelt told the committee chaired by Zambales Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla.

Country’s priority

He said he believed the high living standards enjoyed by Germans could partly be attributed to the priority the country had given to human rights.

“I truly believe the reason we have this is because we are living in a democracy and have high standards in human rights. There’s a close correlation between social standards and human rights,” said Patzelt, who came to the Philippines on a weeklong mission to engage stakeholders on human rights.

At the committee hearing, a German human rights advocate observed the precarious position of human rights defenders in the Philippines, noting that they were “in danger.”