RP's record on human rights

Human rights has been a neuralgic issue for some in the Administration. It never had to be. The Philippines enjoys a long and solid tradition of democratic rule. Even during the darkest days of Martial Law, Filipinos had greater access to information and media than did most of their fellow Asians and citizens of developing countries.

It has become fashionable in some quarters of this country to claim that our “democratic space” is shrinking, to the detriment of the liberties and human rights of the citizenry. This is patent nonsense and is clearly a product of our poisoned political atmosphere. A brief glance at our daily papers or a short interlude listening to our radio broadcasts on any given day will show enough proof that freedom of expression, regardless of probity or intelligence, is quite alive and well in our beloved Philippines.

Despite the incidence of unacceptable political violence, some of it directed against legitimate human rights defenders, Philippine democracy is overall still in fair working order and it is certainly in much better health than in many other so-called developing country democracies.

As responsible citizens, we should separate the wheat from the chaff in assessing the manifold human rights charges continuously being hurled against the government. Many are obviously politically inspired and related to partisan politics. Others are clearly the agit-prop of the militant Left and the fronts for the armed Communist movement. People’s courts, revolutionary taxation and sparrow hit squads have nothing to do with democracy in anybody’s book.

The problem is with the problematic items that remain after the winnowing process is done. Why are so many militants, human rights activists, labor leaders and journalists being killed in our country? Even if we concede for the moment (with all the caveats the readers may wish to impose) that the government is certainly not responsible for all of these atrocities, what actions should the government take to put an end to this alarming record?

It is true as the President herself once said that our country is the sad heir of a tradition of political violence. Instead of hurling futile accusations against the government or the extreme Left or anyone for being the dark agents behind this violence, we must band together and put an end to this sorry aspect of our nation’s “traditions.”

We must start by strengthening the institutions, inside and outside government, that are the natural advocates of human rights in a non-partisan and non-ideological manner. Human rights is too important to be forever a political football kicked about by factions. We must not hold them hostage to whimsical and passing agendas of parties and pressure groups.

Top of the list has to be the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines. This constitutionally mandated body is hampered by a lack of funds, personnel, expertise and independence. The Commission’s presence is barely felt in the executive and the legislature, not to mention the public at large. It should be given more muscles and teeth to do a better job.

An inescapable second is the absolute necessity of ensuring greater accountability, transparency and capabilities with respect to human rights in the armed services, national police and all other security and law enforcement agents of the state. However else you might explain the specifics of a particular case, the reality is that the people regard the state as the party most responsible for protecting and promoting human rights in the country. This means more funding and attention to training, capacity-building and mainstreaming of human rights in military and law enforcement operations and doctrine.  Above all, command responsibility must be made clear and irrefutable.

Thirdly, the people and the victims of human rights abuse need easier access to justice, greater assistance in securing justice, and a far more activist stance on the part of our judiciary and prosecution in hunting down human rights violators, especially in government. Perhaps this will call for nothing less than a special task force, headed by our very own Elliot Ness, whose targets will be those who desecrate human rights rather than mob bosses in the underworld. 

Finally, people’s organizations and NGO’s have a duty to be responsible actors in this process of defending our human rights. Too often, many of these groups treat government as the enemy. Some clearly pursue their human rights activism as a thinly veiled ruse to harass government and to pursue other more sinister goals. For our country to rise above its tradition of political violence, all sectors must come together in the spirit of solidarity to defend the weakest and the least among us who have so little ability to defend their own rights by themselves.   

National determination to this extent and of this intensity demands the full devotion of political will from the highest level of our country’s power on downward to every barangay. I realize this is a tall order given the approaching elections next year. But perhaps taking these steps will lead to a national legacy of greater and enduring value than anything else achieved by all administrations combined since the EDSA People Power Revolution of February 1986.

Cojuangco’s response to my last column

The STAR should be commended for giving former congressman Jose Cojuangco Jr. “the right of reply” to my last column and giving it as prominent a space in its pages. Now it is up to the readership, particularly the national sports associations, to judge the merits of our respective positions. I will only stress the point that the international reputation of Philippine sports is a matter of concern for all Filipinos. When issues of moment are on the line, they should not be relegated to the sports page only. Otherwise we will never arrive at solutions to the problems.

Comelec computerization

Many are wondering whether the Comelec and its advisory council know what they are doing. I understand that there have been 25 additional clarificatory bulletins since the pre-bid conference. The last financial requirement was only issued last Monday requesting compliance within three days. Bid submission is due on Monday May 4. Many are now getting suspicious of the Comelec’s motivations for these 11^th hour requirements.