Iloilo City creates local human rights bodies

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

A new body in the Iloilo City government created by the top executive on Wednesday will act on human rights matters, hoping to increase the involvement of human rights concepts in local policies and their implementation.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Wednesday issued Executive Order No. 045, series of 2023, creating the Human Rights Action Center (HRAC) under the Iloilo City Legal Office, to act on human rights matters, including human rights promotion and complaints of human rights violations.

Its operation will be overseen by the Human Rights Action Team (HRAcT), “created to ensure that the HRAC will properly and effectively operate in a human rights-based manner.”

• Develop and implement the human rights plan of the Local Government Unit of lloilo City;
• Propose to the Sanggunian the integration of human rights programs, projects and activities in its annual budget appropriation;
• Recommend appropriate legislation to the Human Rights Committee of Sanggunian;
• Utilize available resources for human rights promotion in Iloilo City;
• Spearhead and coordinate the implementation of human projects and activities;
• Serve as hubs for Access to Justice Network;
• Post Human Rights Programs, Projects and Activities in communication tools such as websites, bulletin boards and newsletters;
• Guide victims of human rights violations on appropriate action;
• Encourage participation of local government officials and COs in human rights promotion activities;
• Mobilize sectoral groups and locally-based people’s organizations and civil society organizations in the community to participate in human rights activities;
• Publish feature articles on various human rights concerns and issues in local government websites, social media pages, newsletters and Bulletin Boards;
• Reproduce and disseminate Human Rigs Information, Education, Communication (IEC) within the jurisdiction of Iloilo City government;
• Serve as information centers on Human Rights Programs and Services, including referral system within the jurisdiction of the city government;
• Maintain and update the Directory of Human Rights programs and services in Iloilo City;
• Organize the association of the HAs at the city and provincial levels and support their operations;
• Organize capacity-building on human rights of all local government officials in close coordination with regional and field offices of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and (DILG);
• Establish and maintain a database of human rights violations referred to CHR Regional Offices and other agencies;
• Provide CHR with copies of its plans, accomplishment reports, situationers, and other pertinent documents on human rights.

The HRAcT is headed by Treñas as chairperson and co-chaired by City Legal Officer, Atty. Edgardo J. Gil, with Atty. Rosie Garcia of the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) as Executive Officer, and the following as members:

• City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) chief Ma. Teresa Gelogo;
• Councilor Alan Zaldivar;
• City Health Office (CHO) chief Dr. Annabel Tang;
• Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) chief Police Colonel Joresty Coronica;
• Department of Education (DepEd) Iloilo City Schools Division Superintendent Novelyn Vilches;
• Iloilo City Hall Press Corps President Glenda Tayona; and
• Gabriel Felix Umadhay and Mx. Jefferson Clamor from the city’s LGBT Affairs Office.

HRAC and HRAcT were based on Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 series of 2014 by the DILG and the CHR, which called for the mainstreaming of human rights through the rule of law and access to justice in the provincial, city or municipal, and barangay levels.

The issuance also coincides with the visit of CHR chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc, who visited the city for the commission’s Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan (LaKarAn) human rights caravan in Western Visayas.

The said caravan aims to renew the commitment of all duty bearers and rights holders in upholding human rights in their communities.