Retired judge named CHR commissioner

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed a retired judge of a special commercial court in San Fernando, Pampanga as commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Maria Amifaith Fider-Reyes, who retired from the judiciary in December, will complete the CHR’s sixth commission serving from 2022 to 2029.

She is the third female member of the five-person body, which serves as CHR’s highest decision-making and policy-setting body.

“Her appointment represents a pivotal milestone in fulfilling the leadership structure crucial to CHR’s mandate of upholding and advancing human rights in the Philippines,” the commission said.

“Her inclusion bolsters gender representation and reinforces the diverse expertise guiding the commission’s work,” she added.

Marcos appointed Fider-Reyes to the position on Nov. 13. Her appointment paper was formally transmitted to the CHR last Friday.

Fider-Reyes was a member of the judiciary for 17 years. Before her retirement, she was a presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 42 in San Fernando City in Pampanga, which functions as a general jurisdiction court and a designated special commercial court. She also concurrently served as acting judge for other courts in Metro Manila.

Fider-Reyes also had an extensive experience in private practice and taught law at the University of Southern Philippines and the University of San Jose-Recoletos.

“Her extensive judicial experience is further enriched by her time as a court attorney and her work with esteemed justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals,” the CHR said.

The new CHR commissioner was a Chevening scholar who specialized in International Rights of the Child at the University of London, Queen Mary and Westfield Colleges.

She was also a visiting scholar at the International Legal Institute in Washington and earned her Master of Laws at the University of Haifa in Israel.

“Her rich legal and judicial experience equips her to be an invaluable asset to the commission. Her multidisciplinary expertise and unwavering dedication to justice will undoubtedly strengthen CHR’s initiatives to protect and promote the rights of the vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalized sectors,” the CHR said.

“The commission is confident that Commissioner Fider-Reyes’ leadership will further energize CHR’s efforts in crafting policies, advocating for rights and instituting preventive measures to address human rights challenges in the Philippines,” it added.

The other members of the sixth commission of the CHR are Chairman Richard Palpal-latoc and Commissioners Beda Epres, Faydah Maniri Dumarpa and Monina Arevalo Zenarosa.