It has been to paint this administration as a wanton violator of human rights, mainly by convincing foreign bodies to believe so. Because of his politicized stance, Gascon has been unable to get the cooperation from other government agencies, to the detriment of human rights in the country. It is in this period of darkness that we shall all be tested as we fight for human rights. Among these: working with the police to undertake continuous education on the importance of human rights; the strengthening of the police internal affairs offices (or even the establishment of human rights desks, as in the case of their women’s desks); working with Congress so it could pass the laws necessary for human rights (or just allocate a bigger budget to build proper jails); and most importantly, the rigorous investigation and prosecution of cases of human rights violations as a deterrent. If he still has an ember of patriotism and has real concern for human rights, Gascon should resign as CHR head, before his term ends in 2022.

Source: Manila Times May 09, 2017 16:30 UTC