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Bato urges CHR to hire pro-police, pro-military lawyers


Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to hire lawyers who are pro-government and pro-state security forces as he pointed out that there are around 175 vacant plantilla positions in the agency.

During a Senate budget hearing, CHR executive director Atty. Jacqueline Ann De Guia said the majority of these unfilled positions pertain to lawyers and investigators.

"Magbigay lang sana ako sa inyo ng unsolicited advice kung paano kayo makapag-recruit ng mga lawyer diyan sa inyo... Sana huwag niyo i-limit ang recruitment ninyo, baka may mga unwritten na qualifications kayo diyan na dapat ang papasok sa CHR ay dapat hidi pro-government, hindi pro-military, hindi pro-police," Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, said.

"Mag-recruit din kayo ng mga pro-military, pro-police para madaling makapasok sa mga kampo kapag nag-conduct ng investigation," he added.

De Guia explained some reasons behind the unfilled positions in the CHR.

"The vacancy is because we have prioritized promotion which is a sound management principle... For lawyers, it's very difficult to attract lawyers in the regions given the fact that we have low salary grade positions and very minimal, if nothing, in terms of allowances," she told senators.

CHR chairperson Chito Gascon also said the entry level position for lawyers in the agency has been increased to Salary Grade 23 equivalent to around P75,000 but applicants prefer accepting job offers from other agencies because of higher allowances.

With regards to Dela Rosa's suggestion to hire lawyers who support the state security force and the government, Gascon said: "We wish you reassure you po na in our selection and promotion process po, no political affiliation is ever considered. We just focus on qualification standards."

He added that the agency is also engaging with the security sector in the conduct of its investigations.

Gascon vowed that a significant number of the vacant positions in the CHR will be filled in the next three and a half months.

No plan to block CHR's budget

During the same hearing, Dela Rosa—who spearheaded the Duterte administration's controversial war on drugs during his tenure as PNP chief—committed to support the CHR's proposed budget.

"Alam kong sila ay worried na baka harangin ko ang kanilang budget... pero rest assured, sinasabihan ko po kayo na hindi po ako kaaya ng ibang legislators na ginagamit ang power of the purse to get even doon sa kanilang opponents," he said.

"I am fully supporting your budget, kung gusto ninyong dagdagan 'yan, suporta pa rin ako," he added.

Further, Dela Rosa lauded the CHR's condemnation of the twin blasts in Jolo last month.

"Sana ganoon kayo palagi at lalong lalo na, ganoon sana kayo ka-active mag-condemn kung ang atrocities ay ginagawa ng NPA (New People's Army)," he said.

During the budget call, the CHR requested for a P1.4 billion budget for 2021 but Malacañang endorsed to Congress only P860 million for the agency, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson.

The proposed budget endorsed by the Department of Budget and Management for CHR in next fiscal year is P40 million higher compared to the budget that  the latter got under the 2020 General Appropriations Act. — RSJ, GMA News

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