P1,000 budget ‘a display of vindictiveness,’ says CHR

The Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday called the House of Representatives' decision to award it a budget of only P1,000 for 2018 a "display of vindictiveness," and said it will continue its mandate to fight for human rights.

In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, CHR Chairman Chito Gascon also described the House's move "arbitrary, whimsical and capricious."

"We don't know what the reasons are for this determined push of the Speaker and the majority in the House for doing this," he added.

In his initial remarks on the decision, Gascon said, "We had hoped that both the Speaker and the House Majority would have been persuaded by reason and necessity to allocate an adequate budget to CHR in order for us to effectively perform our constitutional mandate as an independent office to protect human rights."

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had earlier vowed to give the agency a minuscule budget, accusing it of only defending criminals.

The CHR had earlier criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for "exhibit[ing] an utter disregard for due process, equal protection, and other civil liberties." But Gascon said that the CHR is only doing its job.

"We are merely performing our functions and our duties and the CHR in all circumstances. Whether during the time of President Duterte or the previous administrations, we have always taken a position for and on behalf of human rights against public authorities," he said.

119 voted to reduce budget

Voting 119-32, the House of Representatives approved 1-SAGIP party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta's motion to allow the CHR a budget of only P1,000 next year.

During his interpellation, Marcoleta accused the commission of being "selective" in its investigations of human rights violations.

"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.

He also claimed that since the CHR is "invalidly" created, it is not worthy of the appropriation it has proposed.

But Gascon said the lawmakers who voted for their budget cut should not resent the agency for doing their job.

"Dapat hindi minamasama ng Kongreso kung ginagawa namin ang aming trabaho," he said.

'Tyranny of numbers'

Gascon also thanked House members who supported their budget.

"We will also thank the majority for giving us the opportunity to at least defend our budget even if we are upset, disappointed that they reduced it to P1,000 without real reason or justification for it," he added.

In his initial remarks, Gascon said that the commission was "heartened" by the "courage and commitment" of the 32 Representatives "who stood their ground to defy the tyranny of numbers shamelessly exhibited tonight."

"We are grateful to them and draw strength from their solidarity as we press on with pursuing our mandate to uphold and defend the human rights of all," he added.

Gascon said they will be looking forward to defend their budget before the Senate, where he hopes reason, necessity and rational minds will prevail. — BM, GMA News