TOP officials of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) held a consultation meeting last July 25 on opening avenues of cooperation on areas where their respective mandates intersect.
Present at the dialogue held at Camp Crame, Quezon City, were CHR chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc and CHR executive director Jacqueline Ann de Guia, PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III, Napolcom commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan, Rep. Leila de Lima (PL–Mamamayang Liberal), and other key officials of the agencies involved.
“The consultation meeting served as a platform for open dialogue, mutual understanding, and institutional alignment on key areas such as human rights protection, law enforcement reforms, and mechanisms for cooperation and accountability,” the CHR said in a statement.
Among the subjects brought up during the meeting was the pursuit of justice for the victims and families affected by extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the past administration’s nationwide anti-illegal drug campaign.
The CHR said the discussions included efforts to uphold truth-telling, ensure accountability, pursue institutional reform, and provide reparations to victims and their families.
“The discussion also emphasized that developing a comprehensive transitional justice mechanism requires first acknowledging the human rights violations during the anti-illegal drug campaign,” it added.
For its part, the PNP demonstrated its five-minute response system through the 911 emergency hotline.
The CHR expressed hope that this initiative will continue to improve and expand its accessibility, especially to vulnerable and underserved communities.
Palpal-latoc underscored the need to improve public perception about the commission and its role in governance.
“We have seen how CHR and human rights defenders have been vilified and considered as anti-government. We hope to eventually correct this misconception. More than a watchdog, we have a bridging role as an independent national human rights institution. We are your partner in ensuring better delivery of services to the Filipino people,” he said.
The CHR also commended PNP’s openness to engagement and cooperation as it expressed hope that the dialogue would lead to greater coordination for human rights and good governance.
