Minority solons slam P1,000 budget for CHR

Minority solons on Tuesday slammed the House of Representatives move to endorse a P1,000 budget for the Commission on Human Rights.

Registering his opposition to 1-SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta's motion to reduce the agency's budget from P678 million, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said giving the CHR a measly appropriation is "embarrassing and unconstitutional."

"It is the height of irony or fantasy for us to automatically release a minuscule and embarrassing budget of P1,000," he said.

"It is a minuscule, embarrassing and unconstitutional move for us to approve the motion," he added.

Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza argued that the CHR is essentially abolished if given a P1,000 budget.

"Kapag in-abolish ito ngayon, wala nang pupuntahan ang ating bansa," he said.

Instead of providing it with a measly P1,000 budget, Atienza said the House should even give the CHR a budget of P2 billion.

During his interpellation, Marcoleta argued that the CHR should have been investigating all human rights violations, regardless of which group an individual belongs to.

"You are supposed to investigate all human rights violations irrespective of any group, any location whether they are soldiers, policemen, NPA, members of the Maute group," Marcoleta said.

"There shouldn't be a selective application. You can condemn but that is not the function of the CHR,"  he added.

Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar, who sponsors the agency's budget, defended the CHR and said condemning human rights violations is part of their action to investigate abuses.

"They don't only condemn these human rights violations. Condemning is part of their action in investigating human rights violations whether by state authorities or non-state authorities," Del Mar said.

Lagman, for his part, slammed Marcoleta's interpretation of the CHR's functions, as he claimed the party-list lawmaker failed to determine that there is a difference between common crimes and human rights violations.

"A human rights violation is an offense committed by the state or agents by the state, not state parties like rebels, terrorists. When they commit crimes, they are sanctionable over the Revised Penal Code," he said.

"The CHR has no jurisdiction over common crimes," he added.

Pampanga Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc moved to vote on Marcoleta's motion via viva voce, where members say "aye" of they are in favor of the motion and "nay" if not.

However, Presiding Speaker Eric Singson later asked members to register their votes by standing up as they could not determine the real winner in the viva voce voting. 

Singson then declared that Marcoleta's motion was approved after 119 members stood up for it. —JST, GMA News