Commission on Human Rights ( Philippines ) - wikipedia Commission on Human Rights ( Philippines ) Commission on Human Rights Seal Agency overview Formed May 5, 1987 Jurisdiction Philippines Headquarters Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines Agency executive Jose Luis Gascon, Chairman Website www.chr.gov.ph Philippines This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Philippines Constitution Charter Change Laws and legal codes Legislature Congress Senate Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez Districts Party - list representation Local legislatures ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly Provinces Cities Municipalities Barangays Executive President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo Cabinet Executive departments Local government Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno Court of Appeals Court of Tax Appeals Sandiganbayan Ombudsman Regional Trial Courts Barangay justice Constitutional commissions Civil Service Commission Commission on Elections Commission on Audit Commission on Human Rights Elections Recent elections General : 2007 2013 2016 Political parties Lakas Liberal Nacionalista NPC NUP PDP -- Laban UNA Administrative divisions Capital Regions Provinces Cities Municipalities Barangays Poblacions Sitios Puroks Related topics Foreign relations Human rights Taxation Other countries Atlas The Commission on Human Rights ( CHR ) is an independent constitutional office created under the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, with the primary function of investigating all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights in the Philippines. The Commission is composed of a Chairperson and four members. Commissioners hold a term of office of seven years without reappointment. The Philippine Constitution requires that a majority of the Commission 's members must be lawyers. As a National Human Rights Institution, the Commission enjoys Status A accreditation by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Contents 1 History 1.1 Duterte administration 2 Mandates and functions 3 Chairperson 4 Controversies 4.1 Tenure of Chairperson and Commissioners 4.2 CHR as a Constitutional Commission 4.3 Credibility of the CHR Chairman 5 External links 6 References History After the ratification of the 1987 Philippine Constitution on 2 February 1987, which provides for the establishment of a Commission on Human Rights, President Corazon Aquino, signed Executive Order No. 163 on May 5, 1987, creating the Commission on Human Rights and abolished the Presidential Committee on Human Rights. The Commission was created as an independent office mandated to investigate complaints of human rights violations, promote the protection of, respect for and the enhancements of the people 's human rights including civil and political rights. Duterte administration On 24 July 2017 during his State of the Nation Address ( SONA ), Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to abolish the commission. The CHR responded in a statement that only a change to the 1987 Constitution could possibly abolish it. On the evening of 12 September 2017, the House of Representatives of the Philippines voted 119 - 32 to give the CHR a budget of only ₱ 1,000 ( ~ $25 ) for the entire year of 2018, which, if made law, would effectively abolish the commission. The commission had reportedly asked Congress for a budget of ₱ 623,380,000 ( $15,351,356 ), and it condemned the vote. As of 13 September 2017, the budget had not been finalized and was still subject to further amendment before approval by the Senate of the Philippines and by the President. If the Senate rejects the proposed CHR budget, such action will trigger a bicameral committee made of members of both houses to resolve the dispute. Mandates and functions The Commission derives its mandates from the Constitution, relevant domestic laws, and the eight core International Human Rights Instruments to which the Philippines is a State Party, as well as other United Nations Human Rights Conventions newly enforced. Under Section 18, Article XIII of the Philippine Constitution, the Commission 's sole duty is to protect the civil and political rights of citizens in the Philippines. Based on the Philippine Constitution, the Commission has a broad mandate, which can be categorized into three major functional areas : Human Rights Protection - Investigation and case management of complaints of violations, including all the powers and services in aid of investigation, of civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights. Such powers and services include : citing for contempt for violations of its rules of procedure ; legal aid and counseling ; visitorial powers over jails and detention facilities ; application of forensic techniques in aid of investigation ; witness protection ; and, financial assistance to victims Human Rights Promotion, which includes the wide range of strategies for policy, advocacy, promotion, social mobilization, education, training, public information, communication, research, networking and linkages Human Rights Policy Advisory derived from monitoring government 's compliance with the treaty obligations that the Philippines has acceded to : International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ( ICCPR ), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ( ICESCR ), Convention Against Torture and Other Degrading Treatment or Punishment ( CAT ), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ( CEDAW ), Convention Against Racial Discrimination ( CERD ), Convention on the Rights of the Child ( CRC ), Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers and their Families ( CMW ) ; Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ( CRPD ). This also includes the entire aspect of monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary to translate international human rights standards into national policies, laws, and practice. The Supreme Court of the Philippines, in Cariño v. Commission on Human Rights, 204 SCRA 483 ( 1991 ), declared that the Commission did not possess the power of adjudication, and emphasized that its functions were primarily investigatory. The Commission on Human Rights have the following powers and functions : Investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights Adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure, and cite for contempt for violations thereof in accordance with the Rules of Court Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of human rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal aid services to the under - privileged whose human rights have been violated or need protection Exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons, or detention facilities Establish a continuing program of research, education, and information to enhance respect for the primacy of human rights Recommend to Congress effective measures to promote human rights and to provide for compensation to victims of violations of human rights, or their families ; Monitor the Philippine Government 's compliance with international treaty obligations on human rights Grant immunity from prosecution to any person whose testimony or whose possession of documents or other evidence is necessary or convenient to determine the truth in any investigation conducted by it or under its authority ; Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office, or agency in the performance of its functions Appoint its officers and employees in accordance with law Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by law Chairperson The chairperson and commissioners of the commission have fixed seven - year terms, with Gascon serving as the commission 's chairperson until May 5, 2022. As stated under the Article XI, Section 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, `` The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office, on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust. All other public officers and employees may be removed from office as provided by law, but not by impeachment. '' Qualifications for CHR chairperson are as follows : A natural - born citizen of the Philippines ; At least thirty - five years of age ; and Has not been a candidate for any elective position preceding their appointment. Chairpersons of the Commission on Human Rights Commission Name Took office Left office 1st Mary Concepcion Bautista 1992 Sedfrey A. Ordoñez 1992 1995 2nd Aurora P. Navarette - Reciña 2002 3rd Purificacion Quisumbing 2002 May 2008 4th Leila de Lima May 2008 June 30, 2010 Etta Rosales September 1, 2010 May 5, 2015 5th Chito Gascon June 18, 2015 Incumbent Controversies Tenure of chairperson and commissioners In a Press briefing on July 27, 2017, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella claimed that the CHR Chairperson and its commissioners `` serve at the pleasure of the president '' and that they may be replaced at the President 's pleasure. This claim was based on the Executive Order No. 163 - A that amended the Section 2, Sub-Paragraph ( c of Executive Order No. 163, stating that `` The Chairman and Members of the Commission on Human Rights shall beappointed by the President. Their tenure in office shall be at the pleasure of the President. '' However, the said executive order was questioned in the Supreme Court in the case : Bautista v. Salonga, G.R. No. 86439 on April 13, 1989 ; leading to the declaration of the said executive order as unconstitutional. Taking a quote from the said Supreme Court ruling, `` Indeed, the Court finds it extremely difficult to conceptualize how an office conceived and created by the Constitution to be independent as the Commission on Human Rights - and vested with the delicate and vital functions of investigating violations of human rights, pinpointing responsibility and recommending sanctions as well as remedial measures therefor, can truly function with independence and effectiveness, when the tenure in office of its Chairman and Members is made dependent on the pleasure of the President. Executive Order No. 163 - A, being antithetical to the constitutional mandate of independence for the Commission on Human Rights has to be declared unconstitutional. '' CHR as a constitutional Commission Under the Article IX of the 1987 Constitution, three constitutional commissions were established namely : the Commission on Elections ( COMELEC ), the Civil Service Commission ( CSC ), and the Commission on Audit ( COA ). The Commission on Human Rights ( CHR ), on the other hand, was created under the Article XIII, Section 17 of the 1987 constitution and the Administrative Code of 1987. In a Resolution of the Supreme Court contained in G.R. No. 155336, it ruled that the CHR is a... `` constitutional body enjoying limited fiscal autonomy... '' Credibility of the CHR chairman CHR Chairman Chito Gascon and the Commission as a whole was accused of being politically biased and of using the institution for their political agenda. This is due to the fact that Chito Gascon was a former Director General of the Liberal Party from 2008 - 2011 and served as Undersecretary for Political Affairs of former President Aquino until 2014 before assuming the Chairmanship of the CHR in 2015. In an interview with Representative Harry Roque of Kabayan Party List, he stated that Gascon 's appointment to the CHR has damaged the credibility of the institution. Roque also questioned Gascon during the August 2017 budget hearing ; accusing the CHR of being political and being perceived by the public as a political tool against the Duterte administration. Gascon, however, stated that he has not been involved in any kind of partisan activity since the time he was tasked to perform human rights programs in 2014. External links `` Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines - Official Website ''. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 23. References Jump up ^ `` Gascon is new CHR chairman ''. The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 15, 2017. Jump up ^ Section 18, Article XIII, Constitution of the Philippines Jump up ^ `` Chart of the Status of National Institutions '' ( PDF ). OHCHR.org. Retrieved May 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order No. 163, s. 1987 ''. The Official Gazette. Retrieved September 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Gavilan, Jodesz ( 24 July 2017 ). `` ' My men ' can snub your probe, Duterte tells CHR, Ombudsman ''. Rappler. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. `` Iyong CHR, iyong opisina dito, you are better abolished, I will not allow my men to go there to be investigated, '' he said. `` Remember this, human rights commission, you address your requests through me because the armed forces is under me and the police are under me, kaya kapag kinwestiyon mo sila for investigation, dumaan muna sa akin ( If you question them for investigation, you better go through me ). '' Jump up ^ Mateo, Janvic ( 26 July 2017 ). `` ' Rody ca n't abolish CHR without amending Constitution ' ''. The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ Viray, Patricia Lourdes ( 13 September 2017 ). `` Who moved to give the CHR a budget of P1, 000 ? ''. philstar.com. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ Arguillas, Carolyn O. ( 13 September 2017 ). `` Nene Pimentel on 1,000 peso budget for CHR : Congress ca n't abolish CHR ''. Mindanao News and Information Center Service Cooperative ( Mindanews ). Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ Cruz, RG ( 13 September 2017 ). `` How CHR practically lost its budget ''. ABS - CBN News. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ Jamaine, Punzalan ( 13 September 2017 ). `` Hope remains for P678 - M CHR budget ''. ABS - CBN News. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 14. ^ Jump up to : `` Strategic Action Plan 2015 - 2016 '' ( PDF ). Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines. Retrieved 20 May 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Jump up ^ Cariño v. Commission on Human Rights, G.R. No. 96681, 2 December 1991, 204 SCRA 483, 492 Jump up ^ `` Commission on Human Rights ''. Lawphil.net. Retrieved May 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` CHR chair, commissioners ' serve at president 's pleasure ', Palace claims ''. The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines ''. The Official Gazette. Retrieved September 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Constitutional Commissions ''. The Official Gazette. Retrieved September 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Palace clarifies : Duterte threat to abolish CHR made ' out of frustration ' ''. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order No. 163 - A '' ( PDF ). The Official Gazette. Retrieved September 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` G.R. No. 86439 April 13, 1989 ''. Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved September 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 1987 Philippine Constitution ''. Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Executive Order No... 292 ''. Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION ( CHREA ) Represented by its President, MARCIAL A. SANCHEZ, JR., Petitioner, - versus - COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, Respondent. ''. Jump up ^ Santos, Jonathan de. `` CHR : Congress knows commission 's role, mandate ''. philstar.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Alvarez wants zero budget for CHR ''. Manila Standard. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Mateo, Janvic. `` Gascon is new CHR chairman ''. philstar.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Rep. Roque asks Gascon : Save CHR, resign as its chairman ''. philstar.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Alvarez wants zero budget for CHR ''. Manila Standard. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` After being called a pedophile, Gascon tells Duterte : Elevate public discourse ''. ABS - CBN News. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commission_on_Human_Rights_(Philippines)&oldid=801732868 '' Categories : Constitutional commissions of the Philippines Human rights in the Philippines National human rights institutions Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from July 2013 Articles containing potentially dated statements from September 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Русский Tagalog Edit links This page was last edited on 21 September 2017, at 14 : 08. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is commission on human rights of the philippines
Answer: an independent constitutional office created under the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, with the primary function of investigating all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights in the Philippines