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Alvarez on Recto’s comment Senate will restore CHR’s budget: Dagdagan niya ng pera niya


House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday said Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto should use his own money to restore the disapproved portion of the Commission on Human Rights' 2018 budget if he wants to. 

"Eh dagdagan niya ng pera niya kung 'yon ang gusto niya," Alvarez said in an interview on Unang Balita.

Asked if the Senate can indeed restore a budget item after the House has decided against it, Alvarez said, "Depende kung papayag kami," adding that the matter will be taken up in a bicameral meeting.

Recto had earlier said that the CHR may even need a higher budget because of the spate of extra judicial killings.

“The CHR is a constitutional body mandated by the Constitution to protect our human rights. It may even need more resources considering the number of EJKs (extrajudicial killings),” Recto said.

Alvarez reiterated that the reason why the House of Representatives gave the CHR a budget of only P1,000 for 2018 is because it is not fulfilling its duty.

"Ang dahilan kung bakit namin binigyan ng P1,000 'yan ay dahil hindi nila ginagampanan o ginagawa ang tungkulin nila base sa mandato nila sa ating Saligang Batas. Malinaw po kasi diyan sa Saligang Batas na ang mandato ng CHR ay upang pangalagaan at protektahan ang mga karapatang pantao ng lahat ng Pilipino, hindi po 'yung pinipili mo lang," he said.

Alvarez added that under the leadership of chairman Chito Gascon, the CHR was selective in speaking up against human rights violations.

"Under the leadership of itong current chairman ay wala tayong nakikitang ganun. Ang daming naging kaso ng human rights, kanya lang pinipili nila kung kailan sila kikibo. 'Yung mga massacre na yon, kumibo ba sila? Wala," he said.

"'Yung Mamasapano, anong ginawa niyang anong pangalan ng chairman na 'yan, o 'yung Gascon, kumibo ba sila, nag-file ba sila ng criminal cases du'n sa mga people responsible sa Mamasapano? Wala silang ginawa. Hindi nila ginagampanan ang tungkulin nila. O bakit natin sila bibigyan ng budget? Bakit magsasayang ang gobyerno ng pera para lang nandiyan sila at walang gagawin?" Alvarez said.

The Speaker also said that even in their districts, people have observed that the CHR is not doing anything.

"Kahit 'yung sa mga distrito namin, sinasabi, 'Ano ba 'yang human rights na 'yan, walang ginagawa. May programa ba sila sa mga biktima ng human rights violation? Anong programa nila?'" he continued.

To critics saying those who voted for the P1,000-budget for CHR do not understand the mandate of the CHR, Alvarez said, "Sila 'yung hindi nakakaintindi. Komento sila ng komento. Magbasa nga sila ng Saligang Batas bago sila magsalita. Ang linaw-linaw. Eh kami tungkulin namin 'yan, ginagawa lang namin ang tungkulin namin."

Asked if CHR's budget will be restored if Gascon resigns, Alvarez said, "Ilatag muna nila kung ano ang direksyon ng komisyon na 'yon."

Political or personal?

Addressing Gascon's comment that the House decision became "a display of vindictiveness", Alvarez said: "Kung hindi ba naman bugok 'yang Gascon na 'yan o. Sinasabi niya napupulitika siya. Eto ang tanong ko sa kanya: Sino ba ang namumulitika? Eh pumunta 'yan sa kulungan, dinalaw si Senadora De Lima. Tinanong ko, ''Yung ibang bilanggo du'n dinalaw mo ba?' Hindi daw dahil wala na siyang oras. Eh, 'di ba? Eh kung dadalaw ka, kung sabihin mo 'yun ang tungkulin mo dumalaw ka sa bilangguan para tignan 'yung kapakanan ng mga bilanggo, eh bakit namimili ka ng dadalawin mo?"

"'Yung Mamasapano, hindi ba massacre 'yon? Hindi ba paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mga sundalong namatay at isinubo mo doon sa kamatayan? Bakit hindi sila nag-file ng kaso? O sinong namumulitika ngayon?" he said.

Gascon: We're doing our job

On Tuesday, Gascon said the House's move to give CHR a P1,000-budget was "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. Gascon also called it a "display of vindictiveness."

"We are merely performing our functions and our duties in 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. —KG/KVD, GMA News

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