EU gives P25-M to Philippine rights groups

MANILA, Philippines - The European Union has given P25 million to two human rights groups in the Philippines as part of its advocacy to protect people's rights.

The Medical Action Group and the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines announced the EU financial support during the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 14th anniversay of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders on Tuesday.

The two groups will be using the EU funds for the three-year project dubbed as "Use of Evidence Based Approach to Human Rights Documentation and Monitoring for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and their Families, and in the Fight Against Impunity."

The groups said that the Declaration defines a human rights defender as anyone who, individually or with others, working for the promotion and protection of human rights.

To date, the rights groups said that one of the issues facing human rights defenders is that they are often perceived by the government as, among others, "enemies of the State," "terrorists" and "members of armed groups."

The project aims to provide support for human rights defenders so that they can work safely and effectively, free from intimidation and reprisals.

It will be implemented in key provinces and cities in the Philippines where human rights violations are rampant and human rights defenders have become targets of rights violations themselves by authorities, mining corporations and private landowners because of their work in exposing human rights abuses and support victims of human rights violations to seek redress.

The project has several major components: documentation and reporting of human rights violations cases; supporting human rights defenders and their families, legal action, capacity building, education and advocacy and lobby.