CHR commissioner: Gascon fights for the less fortunate, not a pedophile

Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Gwen Pimentel-Gana on Sunday defended their chairman, Chito Gascon, saying that he, contrary to what President Rodrigo Duterte said, is not a pedophile.

In an interview with radio dzBB, Pimentel-Gana said Gascon was only concerned about the welfare of minors because they are "weak and vulnerable" members of the society.

"Pedophile cannot be used as a metaphor to describe a person who fights for the rights of the less fortunate. Nakikita naman natin," she said.

"Ako, I know Chito Gascon is not a pedophile. Definitely not and he is there to fight for the weak and the vulnerable, and the children are actually part of the sector of the weak and the vulnerable. And I think he is doing it from his heart," she added.

On Saturday, Duterte asked Gascon if he was a pedophile due to his apparent "fixation" on young boys.

"Why is this guy so pre-suffocated with the issue of the young people, especially boys? Are you a pedophile? Mahilig ka sa mga bata?" Duterte said in a speech after meeting with a policeman held captive by the New People's Army in Davao City.

"Halos na lang mag-iyak ka ng dugo. Of course it's repugnant... Pero teenager ka na nang teenager. Hala, araw-araw. You are so fixated with the death of young males, kaya nagdududa ako na pedophile kang gago ka," he added.

Pimentel-Gana, however, said the CHR and Gascon, as its head, are only doing their mandate.

"The CHR is mandated to investigate these kinds of killings. We are just doing our mandate to investigate these cases," she said.

The House of Representatives has recently granted a measly P1,000 budget for the CHR for next year.

Pimentel-Gana she said she met with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who said he would be willing increase the CHR's budget if Gascon will resign.

Willing to listen

But Pimentel-Gana said House leaders should just personally approach Gascon if they have issues with him.

"Kung meron man silang complaint kay Chairman Gascon, I know na Chairman Gascon is willing to listen. Pwede siyang kausapin, sabihin nila kung anong complaint nila," she said.

"But to hold the institution hostage sa kanilang kung ano mang rason meron, I don't think it is reasonable," she added.

Pimentel-Gana pointed out that the CHR is a constitutional body and giving it a P1,000 budget would render it "inutile" and practically abolish it.

"So I think kung ano man ang complaint nila, they should not make institution suffer because the institution is created by the Constitution to protect and promote human rights of everyone. So I think they should respect the Constitution," she said.

Pimentel-Gana appealed to lawmakers and the public to understand the mandate and functions of the CHR.

"Kung sa tingin nila makulit kami sa gobyerno, kasi yun talaga ang aming mandato na bantayan ang gobyerno, na hindi sila mag-aabuso. That they will protect and promote human rights," she said.

"Wala po kaming agenda na ibagsak ang gobyerno, and as a matter of fact, we pray for a lot of things in what the government is doing," she added.

In a statement, CHR spokesperson Jackie de Guia took a swipe on Duterte's remark about Gascon.

"Remarks such as these are unhelpful and deviate the attention of the public from the critical human rights issues in the country. Further, these are remarks that do not show respect for dignity of others," De Guia said in a statement.

"The public must understand that the death of children concerns us all as they are especially vulnerable and need state protection. These are our own children and the future of our country," she added. —Erwin Colcol/ALG, GMA News