Today heralds a milestone in the history and path of the struggle for human rights.

The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) joins the United Nations (UN) family and the rest of the world in celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) with a firmer resolve in the pursuit to restore “Dignity and Justice For All of Us” – the celebration’s international theme.

However, before the UDHR’s diamond year becomes just another holiday or ‘special day’ usually celebrated with fancy ceremonies, this occasion should be remembered by reflecting on the country’s human rights situation and by resolving to act positively for the defense and fulfillment of the rights enshrined in the declaration.

On the Occasion of the 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA), July 28, 2008

State Obligations and Accountability

The Philippines has a Bill of Rights in its 1987 Constitution that says: “The State values human dignity and guarantees full respect for human rights.” This is spelled out more in the different sections of Article III, for example, among others: the right not to be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures; the right to be free from torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, and the right of the people to information on matters of public concern. The Philippines too as a State Party to many international human rights treaties, which reinforce the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all women and men as the foundation of freedom, justice, peace and development, obliges each administration to account for the implementation of its obligations.

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