FACT CHECK: The PH gov’t is not abolishing the Commission on Human Rights

Claim: The Philippine government is abolishing the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has over 17,061 views as of writing.

Absent in video: The YouTube video did not provide any proof of the claim said in the thumbnail. The video discussed the following topics: the supposed decrease in spam messages thru short message service (SMS), the financial assistance given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to unpaid Overseas Filipino Workers, infrastructure projects, digital literacy, and the Human Rights Defenders Bill.

The abolition of the CHR is not mentioned in any of the topics discussed. During the discussion of the human rights defenders bill, the video showed clips from SMNI’s Laban Kasama ang Bayan program discussing the bill. CHR and its abolition was not mentioned, however, throughout the program.

No confirmation from CHR: There are no statements from CHR’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts announcing that it is being abolished by the government. There are also no news reports that confirm the claim.

Only way to abolish CHR: Former CHR chairperson Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon said the human rights commission is a constitutional body that can only be abolished by changing the provisions that created it in the 1987 Charter. “Any discussion to abolish CHR or any other institution for that matter can be taken in the proposed constitutional-reform process,” Gascon said.

Consitutional reform: On March 6, 2023, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for a constitutional convention (Con-Con) to either amend or revise the 1987 Constitution.

According to the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution need to be “revisited and recrafted.” The abolition of the CHR is not mentioned as one of the goals of the proposed constitutional reform. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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