Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Philippines was one of 48 countries that signed the 1948 Declaration, and since
then we have been one of the worlds leading countries in the formal and legal
recognition and articulation of human rights principles. In 1951, within three years
from the adoption of the UDHR, the Philippine Supreme Court was one of the first
courts in the world to recognize and apply the rights under the Declaration to
resolve an actual case (Meijoff v. Director of Prisons). At present, the Philippines is
currently a signatory of virtually all major human rights covenants with a few
notable exceptions like the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Optional Protocol to the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Our countrys experience with human rights, however, has not, unfortunately, been
one long tale of articulation and achievement. We went through the dark period of
Martial Law, where all our lofty declarations fell to naught in the face of massive
levels of State-led and State-sponsored human rights violations. And even with the
restoration of formal democratic institutions in 1986, and the adoption of our
current Constitution in 1987 a document widely hailed as a human rights
constitution for its groundbreaking institutionalization of human rights principles in
fundamental law our governments human rights record has been far from
spotless.
In the 26 years since People Power allowed us to adopt our human rights
constitution, human rights violations have continued to take place, despite the
sincere and valiant efforts of government institutions and one of the worlds most
active and dynamic non-government human rights communities to eliminate abuses
and create safeguards to individual rights and freedoms. Widespread poverty,
environmental degradation, impunity, and corruption are glaring testaments to our
communal failure.
Today we have to recapture our commitment to enforce human rights, by redefining
our agenda, approach and strategy in dealing with the human rights issues of our
times. One that does not merely pay lip service to our international pledges but one
that is grounded and mindful of the existing socio-economic conditions and political
realities, and guided by international norms and standards.
ISSUES
Insurgency and Ethnic Conflicts
result of Chinas alleged incursions into territory claimed by the Philippines, the
Aquino government turned for help to the United States, which promised to help
finance modernization of the Philippines antiquated naval defense system. Several
US senators sought to restrict military assistance to the Philippine army because of
continuing rights violations and lack of accountability.