CHR, civil society orgs launch campaign to monitor human rights violations during elections

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has partnered with various civil society organizations to launch a campaign monitoring human rights violations during elections in 2016 on Thursday.

Dubbed as “Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan,” the campaign brings together at least 31 human rights groups and election watchdogs.

“Human rights should be at the front and center of the elections,” said Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) representative Max de Mesa during the launch in Intramuros, Manila on the International Human Rights Day.

Task Force 2016 representative Rona Ann Caritos said that the coalition has three objectives. Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan aims to develop a human rights framework in relation to the 2016 elections, provide a platform for human rights violations in the country during the polls, and tackle impunity and prosecute election law violators. 

“Ang nagiging problema po kasi natin sa halalan, ang laging focus natin mga kandidato. Nawawala po iyong focus sa mga botante. Iyong mga violations sa mga karapatan ng mga botante, nawawala po. Gusto po naming sa Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan, ang focus mabalik sa mga botante,” she said.

CHR chairman Chito Gascon agreed with Caritos and said that the human rights aspect of the elections should not be put aside. He said that every election violation must be reported and that the government should be called out to act upon it.

“It is completely unacceptable that in a free society, in a democracy, people are harassed, intimidated, injured, and killed just because of an electoral exercise. We want to shed light on that,” he said.

“Hindi katanggap-tanggap na sabihin na mas kaunti ang napatay sa eleksyong ito kumpara sa nakaraang eleksyon dahil usapin poi to ng malayang pakikilahok ng mamamayan sa pundamental na proseso sa isang demokrasya,” Gascon added.

Lawyer Takahiro Kenjie Aman of Legal Network of Truthful Elections (LENTE) also said that the measure of a successful election should not be limited to voter turnout or how orderly the polls were conducted.

“Elections must be inclusive. Elections must be transparent. Elections must be accountability,” he said.  — Trisha Macas/ELR, GMA News