Reconsider CHR budget: Lorenzana

MANILA - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana urged Thursday the lawmakers at the House of the Representatives to review its decision on giving the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) a P1,000 budget for the year 2018.

He said the CHR should be given the budget it deserves, noting that it plays an important role in the duties of the policemen and military personnel.

"CHR is a constitutional body. Gawa ng batas yan (it is created by law), nasa Constitution 'yan. The people there can't be removed. 'Yung head nga hindi mo pwedeng tanggalin eh (You can't even remove the head). Dahil nandiyan 'yan, it’s just right that there will also be funding," Lorenzana said.

"It keeps government officials, especially the military and police, na ingat sila sa ginagawa nila (be careful with what they are doing) because anything that they will do, liable sila sa (liable for) human rights violation," he added.

Lorenzana said during his junior years on the field, they were even seeking for CHR representatives to lecture them about human rights.

On Tuesday, the House of the Representatives approved the allocation of P1,000 budget to the CHR, with 119-32 votes. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said they refused to approve the proposed P678 million for the agency as it "failed to perform its mandate."

However, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero, Juan Edgardo Angara, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Bam Aquino, Ralph Recto, Richard Gordon, Sherwin Gatchalian and Francis Pangilinan opposed the House of the Representatives' decision to cut down CHR's budget.

Lacson, being the CHR's budget sponsor in the Senate, promised to restore the P678 million budget.