The Commission on Human Rights on Tuesday thanked Congress for the approval of its 2019 budget.
“We express our gratitude to the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations, led by chairperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and vice chairperson Raul V. del Mar, for their full support to the cause of human rights through the unhampered approval of the budget of the Commission on Human Rights at the committee-level,” spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.
“This shows that the HoR recognizes the expediency of the work of the Commission given the current challenging times wherein human rights violations are rampant and the culture of impunity is unabated,” she said.
The agency has proposed a P687,706-million budget, or -0.48 percent lower than the previous year.
De Guia said the decrease could be credited to lowered allocations for capital outlay.
The proposed budget is intended to strengthen the human rights protection, promotion and policy thrusts of the CHR, she added.
“Your confidence in us further boosts our impetus to steadfastly demand accountability from perpetrators, provide recourse for victims especially the most vulnerable ones, and fight for the core rights that define our humanity,” she said.
“We assure the Filipino people that every peso entrusted to us is judiciously spent in defense of human rights and the dignity of all. We thank all those who continue to stand with us—within and beyond the walls of Congress—our fight for human dignity,” she added.