Gordon demands apology from CHR over ‘coward’ remark

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will not be allowed to present its witnesses at the resumption of the Senate probe on extrajudicial killings until the agency issues an apology over the “unfair” remarks made by one of its commissioners, Senator Richard Gordon said Wednesday.

“It should be the Commission on Human Rights who should apologize and they should castigate Cadiz because they will not be effective kapag hindi ganoon ang gagawin nila,” Gordon, chairman of the Senate justice committee, told reporters in an interview.

Gordon was referring to CHR Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz, who had earlier slammed the senator for being a “coward.” Cadiz said Gordon was “afraid” of conducting the hearing.

Cadiz’s remarks did not sit well with Gordon’s colleague, Senator Miguel Zubiri, who raised the issue during the plenary session, saying it was an “insult to the Senate and its history.”

“I cannot let this pass…The commissioner’s statement is truly unfair… I would like to hear an explanation and at least, demand an apology,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri recommended that the Senate justice committee push through with its scheduled hearing on Thursday, 9 a.m., but said that it should devote its time to hearing the issue of death penalty rather than extrajudicial killings.

But Gordon said he intends to finish the investigation on killings in just two more hearings. He said he will call instead as resource persons members of the police force.

Gordon said CHR chairman Chito Gascon has apologized for Cadiz’s remarks, saying it was not the official position of his agency.

Gordon, however, said Cadiz himself should issue the apology, and the CHR should “dissociate” itself from the commissioner’s remarks.

“The point is, we all have to take responsibility for our actions. CHR, the leader, must always take responsibility for the people he leads. Chito Gascon has done that but the CHR has not done that,” Gordon said.

“It is unfair for anybody who is not even known to us to suddenly come out of the woodwork, call press conference and dare to say that we are cowards. I’m not a coward. I don’t have to prove my manhood to anybody,” the senator added.

In the first two hearings of the Senate justice committee, the CHR presented two witnesses who testified on the killings of their relatives by policemen. —KBK, GMA News