CHR urges Senate: Restore P115-M budget cut

Following a budget cut of almost P115 million by the House of Representatives, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday said it would plead with the Senate to restore its full budget of over P623 million.

“The budget cut by the House of Representatives shall affect to an extent the commission’s efficacy, especially with the current challenges and constraints,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.

“We are appreciative of the budget allocation by them and we have full trust and faith in the Senate restoring our full budget or even increasing it, as it did last year,” she added.

De Guia issued the statement after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Tuesday the proposed P3.8-trillion budget for 2018.

Originally proposed at P623.3 million, lawmakers reduced the CHR budget to only P508.5 million supposedly due to criticisms of the House leadership on the commission’s bias against the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The House earlier threatened to cut the budget to P1,000, but partly restored the budget following public outcry.

The budget issue was among those raised by the CHR to the international community during the country’s universal periodic review in Geneva, Switzerland last week.

CHR commissioner Karen GomezDumpit informed the delegations from other countries of the impending budget cut, contrary to the commitment made by then-senator and now Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in May.

During the review, Manila also rejected a recommendation made by Australia calling on the Philippine government to provide appropriate funding for the CHR.