“Threats by members of the Philippine Congress to defund the national human rights commission have resulted in its weakening of support for abortion rights”, Human Rights Watch said.
The lawmakers’ action against the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) not only undermines the commission’s ability to protect reproductive rights in the Philippines but imperils all of the commission’s work to protect human rights.
“The Philippines Commission on Human Rights can’t properly function to protect human rights when legislators are threatening its existence,” said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The Philippines government, including the human rights commission, has responsibilities to ensure that women and girls can exercise bodily autonomy and access safe abortions as part of their basic human rights.”
The Roman Catholic Church and Christian groups, as well as conservative lawmakers, have resisted any such initiatives.
Congress has not acted on a proposed bill to amend the Revised Penal Code to decriminalize abortion.
“The Philippines needs an independent, well-funded national human rights body to address the most egregious rights violations in the country and protect the rights of all Filipinos,” Lau said.
“By threatening the CHR’s budget, these lawmakers are trying to render the constitutionally mandated body useless,” he added.