The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved only a ₱1,000 budget for the Commission on Human Rights for 2018. During the House budget plenary debates, at least 119 lawmakers voted to approve the ₱1,000 budget for the CHR. Only 32 lawmakers voted against it.
Despite having a very low budget for net year, CHR Chairperson Chito Gascon vows that the commission will continue to do its job as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The responsibility of the CHR to protect the rights of the people from abuse by state agents such as the government, police and the military. The CHR is mandated to ensure that the government will not abuse and violate its duty to protect the primary rights of the people.
How will the country benefit from a vote to give the CHR ₱1000 as their 2018 budget?
Netizens express sentiments on Twitter
“You’re mad because CHR hasn’t been paying attention to victims of drug addicts? That’s a failure of the police force, you idiot.”
“CHR gets 1000 pesos budget! That is how our lawmakers value human rights– it is worth 1000 pesos! Tsk! #GiveMyTaxToCHR”
“Shit muntik ko na matapakan human rights natin.”
“1000 pesos for 103,300,000 Filipinos. Let us never forget that for this government, our human rights are only worth Php 0.000009 apiece #CHR”
“Reducing the CHR’s budget is reducing the budget of the poor, the marginalized, the powerless, the oppressed.”
“How will CHR maximize a 1000-peso budget to protect the Filipino people from numerous HRVs done by the gov’t? Shame.”
“‘Yung mas mataas pa ‘yung sweldo ni Mocha Uson kaysa sa budget ng CHR for next year. Ang hirap mong mahalin, Pilipinas.”
Celebrities, personalities too are not happy!
Bianca Gonzalez: “So hindi maa-afford ng #CHR ang magbayad ng kuryente, tubig at internet ng isang buwan. AY. Wala din palang masweswelduhan ni isang staff.”
Gang Capati: “119 Congress Reps in 2017 bestowed 1000 pesos for the Commission on Human Rights for 2018, Philippines. Tandaan natin ‘to sa 2019.”
Jensen Gomez: “Bihira to. Pero pakyu po kayong lahat dyan. Human rights yun. 1000 pesos amputa.”
Noemi Dado: “Oplan Tokhang: P900M budget vs 1000 pesos for CHR. No priority on Human Rights. What a shame”
Philbert Dy: “We live in a country where more of our taxes go to Mocha Uson than to the Commission on Human Rights. Cool cool cool.”
Jim Paredes: “CHR gets 1000P budget. So where will the poor go when they are abused by public officials? We are ruled by savages and pro murder people.”
Karen Davila: “House budgets P1,000 or $20 a year for the Commission on Human Rights for 2018. What they want to say: Close it down.”
Abi Valte: “Oplan Double Barrel gets 900M. CHR gets 1k. Alam niyo na ang importante sa estado. (Hint: hindi tao. Hindi tayo.)”
Ethel Booba: “Bullying at Power Trip ang ginagawa ng ibang nakaupo sa House of Representatives. Charot!”
Jerrold Tarog: “Sino pwede mag-setup ng GoFundMe page para sa karapatang pantao nating lahat?”
Dingdong Dantes: “Akalain mong 32 lang sila”
“The partial list is out. I saw 18 names already.”
“Buti si Rep. Atienza of Buhay–among many others– voted against it. Ay teka, 32 nga lang pala sila.😬 How in the world can that be alright?”
Carlos Conde: “Leila de Lima reinvigorated CHR, made it more responsive. It investigated DavaoDeathSquad, which is why Duterte relentlessly targeted her.”
Irish Dizon: “Without the CHR, Duterte & his lapdogs can just easily eliminate anybody they deem necessary to silence. That could be me, that could be you”
