JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has assured member-states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the Marcos administration will do its utmost to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms to deliver “Real Justice in Real Times” to all Filipinos.
Remulla made the commitment as he accepted the 200 recommendations made by member-states of the UNHRC seeking to improve and protect the country’s human rights situation.
A total of 289 recommendations were made during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines’ human rights situation and Remulla said the responses for the remaining 89 will be submitted to the UNHRC “in due course.”
The current review on the Philippines human rights records were the fourth such review since 2017.
With the Marcos administration only in office for about five months, most of the fourth UPR will delved into the conduct of the former Duterte administration.
“The protection and promotion of human rights is a solemn constitutional commitment and constant endeavor that the government of the Philippines shall never waver. In this spirit, and as preliminary action, we are proud to announce the acceptance of 200 recommendations – more than two thirds of all the recommendations during our UPR,” Remulla said during the plenary session Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We do so because these are important areas and issues which the government is already working, and in many cases, even going beyond the accepted recommendations. They fall within the scope of and bolster the Philippine government’s ongoing human rights policies, programs and initiatives,” he added.
He also said: “The Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will do its utmost to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms to deliver ‘Real Justice in Real Time’ to Filipinos.”
At the same time, he reiterated Manila’s call for climate justice – for developed countries to increase financing for mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage for developing countries.
“We expect nothing less from our friends and partners that have been the beacon of human rights and justice the world over,” Remulla said.
Among the recommendations accepted by the Philippine government according to Remulla, are participation in the UN Joint Program, creation of a Philippine Commission on Human Rights, a National Human Rights Action Plan, combating discrimination and gender-based violence, maintaining a moratorium on the death penalty, preventing extra-judicial killings, conducting independent investigations on human rights violations, decongesting prisons, further expanding access to justice, protecting human rights defenders and journalists, promoting the rights to education, health, and adequate standard of living, upholding the rights of persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, women, children, refugees, and stateless persons.
He said the government will review the rest of the recommendations that he said the delegation believes rest on less than solid premises or are not in line with Philippine cultural values, religious beliefs and national identity.
“As our system of government consists of three independent and co-equal branches, each with its own mandate, we will review them in consultation with relevant stakeholders back home. We will submit our positions on these deferred recommendations in due course,” he said.
