THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
2 -  
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iZT.CL IYED P:f, 
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SENATE 
2 -3 
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S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It was reported that the number of human rights violations in the 
year 2005 was the highest ever recorded since the time of the Marcos 
government. The Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights of 
KARAPATAN, a human rights organization based in Manila, documented 
874 cases of human rights violations with 99,011 individual victims from 
January to November 30, 2005. The violations affected 14,302 families in 
288 communities. Further, there were 179 victims of politically motivated 
killings compared with 63 victims in 2004. This number does not include 
52 victims who survived assassination attempts. There were also 46 
victims of abductions/forced disappearances in 2005. Currently, the target 
of human rights violations is the local leaders of progressive party list 
groups who have been reported to be harassed, threatened, illegally 
detained and killed. 
The number of human rights violations happening in almost every 
corner of the local community is alarming. The response of the national 
government appears to be inadequate in fully and promptly addressing the 
rising number of human rights violations in the country. Hence, the local 
governments must be mobilized to play a primordial role in the 
implementation of human rights laws in their communities. On this note, 
the attached bill establishes human rights resource centers in local 
communities to integrate the promotion and protection of human rights in 
the conduct of local governance and in local law enforcement. 
Accordingly, approval of this bill is highly recommended. 
f 
MANNYVILL R 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN PHILIPPINE COMMITMENT TO HUMAN 
RIGHTS PROMOTION AND PROTECTION BY ESTABLISHING 
HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE 
COUNTRY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
/Y- 
Befinacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Human 
Philippines in congress assembled: 
Rights Resource Center Act of 2006". 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby the policy of the 
State to promote social justice in all phases of national development as it 
values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for 
human rights. 
It shall articulate the twenty-three (23) international 
covenants and treaties on human rights, to which it is a signatory and has 
ratified in its national and local laws. 
It shall also be the policy of the State to give priority to education 
among the youth to foster patriotism and nationalism that shall promote 
their total liberation and development as a human being. 
Section 3. The Human Rights Resource Centers. - Human rights 
resource centers, hereinafter referred to as the HR Resource Centers, are 
hereby established throughout the country to integrate the promotion and 
protection of human rights in the implementation of the criminal justice 
system, in the conduct of local governance and in local law enforcement. 
These centers shall be the repository of all human rights concerns at the 
provincial level. 
The HR Resource Centers shall be attached to the Office of the 
Governor but the planning, policy-making and implementation shall be 
done with transparency and accountability. However, the Regional Office 
of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Office of the Provincial 
Prosecutor, the Office of the Provincial Commander of the Armed Forces 
of the Philippines (AFP) and the Office of the Provincial Director of the 
Philippine National Police (PNP) shall collaborate and coordinate in 
ensuring the effective operation of the HR Resource Centers including, but 
not limited to, the mobilization of resources and the provision of technical 
support. 


At the operational level, the HR Resource Centers shall be headed 
by a volunteer lawyer from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines with 
support staff composed of volunteers from students of law schools who 
are rendering paralegal services as part of their curriculum requirements, 
people's organizations and nongovernment organizations (Pos and NGOs, 
respectively) with credibility in the locality and independent of the local 
government. 
Functions of the HR Resource Centers. - The HR 
Resource Centers shall have the following functions: 
Section 4. 
(a) 
Set up a library of international covenants and treaties to 
which the Philippines is a signatory, has acceded to andlor has 
ratified; 
(b) 
Provide the necessary resource persons, literary and other 
educational materials to persons or group of persons who advocate and 
work for a continuing program of education that enhances respect for the 
primacy of human rights; 
(c) 
Monitor compliance with international treaty obligations and 
national legislation on human rights for the purpose of ensuring the proper 
enforcement of laws and observance of international obligations at the 
local level; 
(d) 
Coordinate with various government agencies involved in the 
promotion and protection of various aspects of human rights, as well as 
with the Presidential Committee on Human Rights; 
Coordinate with barangay, municipal and provincial human 
rights officers, desks or committees, as the case may be, and with the 
Regional Office of the CHR on issues arising from violations of civil, 
political, economic, social' and cultural rights of the people, particularly 
those of women and children, for purposes of referring or endorsing the 
same through an appropriate mechanism to the proper government 
agencies for appropriate actions and immediate resolution; 
Take an active part in efforts aimed at promoting peace and 
development in the area and serve as the convergence point for these 
efforts at the local level; 
Recommend the enactment of necessary local legislation 
(e) 
(9 
(9) 
that will protect and promote human rights in the province; and 
(h) 
Participate in the development planning and budgeting 
process of the local government unit concerned using the principles of 
rights-based development wherein development plans for the locality 
come from the citizens who are targeted to be the direct beneficiaries of 
the plans rather than the government imposing the plans on the citizens. 
Section 5. Implementing Rules and Regulafions. - The CHR, in 
consultations, coordination and collaboration with the Supreme Court, the 
Department of Justice, the AFP, the PNP, the Integrated Bar of the 
Philippines and human rights NGOs and POs duly recognized and 
accredited by the government, shall prepare the implementing rules and 
regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 


Section 6. Separability Clause. - If any provisions, or part hereof, 
is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or provision not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
Section 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, executive order, decree, 
issuance, ordinance, rule and regulation or any part thereof contrary or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is also hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly. 
Section 8. Effectivify Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved.