Chiz sponsors bill to
grant CHR prosecutorial powers
By Office of Senator Chiz Escudero
May
16, 2011
PASAY CITY – The
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will exercise concurrent
prosecutorial powers and functions once Senator Chiz Escudero’s bill
seeking to strengthen the functional and structural organization of
the agency is approved.
Escudero, chairman of
the Senate committee on justice and human rights, has sponsored
Committee Report No. 37, which seeks further amendment to the CHR’s
current charter and equip it prosecutorial powers similar to that of
the Department of Justice (DOJ) over cases involving human rights
violation.
“Under its present
mandate, CHR is neither a judicial nor a quasi-judicial body. Its
jurisdiction is limited only to civil and political rights. We want to
equip it with significant power to include economic, social and
cultural rights,” Escudero pointed out.
At present, CHR is
restricted by the Constitution to preventive measures only such as
initiating applications in court for judicial writs and orders,
conduct investigation and receive evidence of violations of human
rights, among others.
The senator said the
commission will be more empowered, thus rendering it more effective
and authoritative if its jurisdiction includes quasi-judicial power.
“The mandate of the
CHR is vital in ensuring that it enacts the state policy to secure,
protect and guarantee the dignity of its citizens and to ensure the
fulfillment of such citizens’ human rights. Therefore CHR could no
longer be regarded as a toothless tiger,” said Escudero.
The same bill also
grants CHR visitorial powers to all detention cells all over the
country to monitor the state of the facilities and detainees.
In addition to the
CHR’s empowerment, any arrests made by any of the law enforcement
agencies should be reported to the CHR within 48 hours. At present,
police and military can keep under their custody arrested persons as
long as they want.