MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) encourages the government and the Filipino people in general, to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas — to ensure that justice and compassion would prevail over impunity and abuses.
In its holiday message, Saturday, the commission hopes that the state, as primary duty-bearer, will reflect on "efforts and gaps in alleviating the plight of the marginalized sectors" to ensure that the coming year will result in genuine inclusion and recovery.
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"CHR continues to highlight the importance of consciously employing a rights-based framework in our actions in due recognition of the dignity of all," the agency said today, especially that many have suffered pain and loss in recent years.
"Doing so will help ensure that justice and compassion will prevail over impunity and abuses."
The commission this year was vocal in various issues such as extrajudicial killings and the bloody war on drugs, problems that groups say continue even into the new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Just this 2022, various media killings transpired such as that of radio commentator Percy Lapid, this while Marcos continues to insist that his government has no intention in rejoining the International Criminal Court.
The ICC's prosecutor earlier said that they will continue to probe former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war for "crimes against humanity."
"Commemorating the birth of the savior [Jesus Christ] highlights the divine compassion and grace for all humanity regardless of ethnicity, sex, social origin, political and other opinion, and other external categories," adds the CHR.
"Let the holidays be an opportunity to renew our fervor in upholding the dignity and rights of all. We wish everyone a blessed and meaningful Christmas!"
Early this month, the commission started its investigation into the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Ericson Acosta and peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez in Negros Occidental.
While the state claims that the two were "casualties in an encounter with the military," groups insist that they were unarmed at the time of their death, even bearing stab wounds.
Just this October, the Department of the Interior and Local Government boasted of Marcos' efforts in advancing the drug war in "bloodless operations."
However, data from the Philippine National Police said otherwise when they publicized 46 casualties — a number the Human Rights Watch says was "undercounted" as other sources claim that it was already by the hundreds.