PHL Human Rights Plan for next 5 years in the works

The Philippine government has begun drafting the next Philippine Human Rights Action Plan for the next five years to mainstream the government’s human rights agenda. (PNA photo)

MANILA—The Philippine government has begun drafting the next Philippine Human Rights Action Plan for the next five years to mainstream the government’s human rights agenda.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano reported this during the 3rd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review last May 8 where he assured that the plan will have initiatives to protect its citizens particularly the most vulnerable sectors.

He further said that the plan will be “a culture-sensitive perspective, gender-sensitive paradigm, and human rights-based approach in public service.”

The last Human Rights Plan was crafted in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Universal Periodic Review happens every three to four years, where the states present their human rights records to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

In the same event, Cayetano also mentioned the effort to increase the budget of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) from PHP439 million to PHP724 million, which is the highest budget of the CHR since 2005.

He stressed that increasing the budget of the CHR, a staunch critic of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, only shows that the administration takes human rights very seriously.

Moreover, he pointed out that the Duterte administration is also serious in assuring accountability with the issuance of an Executive Order institutionalizing the Freedom of Information in the executive branch as well as the installation of a direct complaint hotline, 8888.

The government is also enhancing private sector participation to create a better rehabilitation program for drug dependents.