CSOs, government agencies discuss pressing human rights issues in Kapihan 2023

Various government agencies and civil society organizations (CSO) joined Kapihan on Human Rights: Assessing Progress and Priorities forum on Tuesday, 12 December 2023, at the B Hotel in Quezon City. The Kapihan is an annual initiative of the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG) bringing together various stakeholders to discuss human rights issues and provide practical recommendations to improve the human rights situation in the Philippines.

This year’s Kapihan on Human Rights centered on providing a platform for the government and civil society organizations to evaluate the current landscape of human rights in the Philippines and identify emerging human rights issues and challenges that need immediate attention.

PWG Chairperson and former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit formally opened the event by emphasizing the importance of dialogues among CSOs and government agencies on issues related to human rights. She also reiterated that for the past two decades, the PWG-initiated Kapihan has been monumental in bringing up most pressing human rights issues and challenges to the concerned stakeholders, especially among government agencies and civil society organizations.

CHR Chair, the Honorable Atty Richard Palpal-latoc, provided the participants with an overview of the human rights situation in the Philippines including a rundown of several events that had significant impacts on the country’s human rights landscape in the past year. Some of the human rights issues he highlighted include a shift in the approach of the government on the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation, the release on bail of former Senator Leila De Lima, the acquittal of Maria Ressa on her tax evasion cases, and media killings, among others.

House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights Chair and Manila District 6 Representative Bienvenido M Abante, Jr presented before the participants some legislative priority measures in the 19th Congress. He mentioned pending bills in the House of Representatives, including the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill which aims to recognize and preserve the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders.

The plight of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) were also among the human rights issues tackled. Atty. Jasmine Ann Gapatan of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) emphasized the mechanisms in place for the enhanced protection of migrant workers from the recruitment stage to their actual employment with their respective employers. She also highlighted new initiatives from the DMW that secure the safety and welfare of overseas workers such as fully utilizing the digital technology through DMW mobile application and DMW OFW Pass.

Labor-related issues were also highlighted in the forum. Director of Bureau of Labor Relations of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Atty Maria Consuelo Bacay discussed challenges and initiatives in promoting freedom of association. She shared DOLE’s initiatives in protecting and promoting labor rights such as efforts in preventing violence against union organizers and strengthening and expanding labor education.

Representatives from various civil society organizations served as reactors of each of the plenary sessions. Among the reactors were: Atty Kristina Conti (Secretary General, National Union of People’s Lawyers NCR), Samantha David (Project Development and Management Officer, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocate), Dr Juan Alvarado Perez III (Co-Chairperson, Medical Action Group), Mr Julius H Cainglet (Vice President for Research, Advocacy and Partnerships Federation of Free Workers), and Mr Abner N Manlapaz (President, Life Haven Center for Independent Living).

Atty Ray Paolo Santiago, Executive Director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center, concluded the event by emphasizing the significance of continuous dialogues on human rights issues. Kapihan seeks to be one of the platforms that create safe spaces for civil society organizations and government agencies, especially in today’s context where human rights promotion and protection become complicated.

The Kapihan on Human Rights 2023 coincided with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).