CHR trying to 'keep up' with number of personnel; says MOOE budget 'critical'

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairman Chito Gascon admitted Thursday that the small number of their investigators has affected the agency's handling of cases.

During the budget hearing, Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago asked the human rights body if it has encountered problems in accessing pertinent documents for its investigation of cases.

Gascon said it "found difficulty in recent years in terms of securing the full cooperation of law enforcement institutions, particularly the Philippine National Police."

Gascon also took note of the agency's small number of probers.

"We have little over a hundred investigators that need to investigate the cases involving the police, which is over 200,000 around the country, involving the Armed Forces," Gascon said.

"We are trying to fill up all our plantilla positions. Hopefully at full capacity, we will have 150 investigators pero kalaban po  namin 'yung ibang ahensya na may mga open items for investigators din eh. So siyempre nangyayari po talaga 'yung mga abogado naha-hire namin ngayon, kapag may opportunity sa Ombudsman o sa DOJ o sa PAO, aalis sa amin, lilipat doon," he added.

(We are in battle with other agencies which have open items for investigators. We might hire investigators for now, but if there are better opportunities in the Ombudsman, the DOJ, and the PAO, they will leave and transfer there.)

"We are always trying to keep up, make sure that we hold our personnel, the benefits come in... ensuring that the morale is high, but of course we will never prevent people to move in their career. In the meantime naghahabol po kami palagi," Gascon said.

As of July 31, the CHR has 672 filled-up and 172 vacant positions in its central and regional offices. The agency currently has 151 investigators and looking to hire 52 more.

In connection with this, Gascon stressed the importance of their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) budget to keep their personnel.

"Critical po sa amin 'yung budget sa MOOE kasi kung 'yung budget sa MOOE ay magarantiyahan, kung pupuwede po madagdagan pa, eh mas may kakayahan kami na 'yung 3,000 kaso ay maging 4,000 o 5,000 overtime," Gascon said.

(Our MOOE budget is critical. If this could be increased, the 3,000 cases we are investigating could still rise to 4,000 or even 5,000.)

The CHR said it has taken cognizance of a total of 3,423 alleged extrajudicial killings amid the drug war from May 2016 to August 31, 2021.

CHR spokesperson Jackielyn De Guia said included in the wishlist of the agency is the restoration of the Fiscal Year 2021 MOOE National Expenditure Level, which will "impact our work on the ground, especially capacity-building of our people as well as investigation of human rights cases."

Of the proposed 2022 budget of the CHR, only P297.971 million was allotted for the agency's MOOE.

It was lower compared to the 2021's P306.597 million.—AOL, GMA News