Budget ng Commission on Human Rights, inipit muna ng Senado dahil sa umano’y statement ng CHR official kaugnay ng pagde-decriminalize sa abortion

Transcript

00:00 Some senators did not like the statement of an official of the Commission on Human Rights

00:05 about decriminalizing abortion.

00:08 As far as the CHR does not clarify this,

00:11 the Commission's budget has been deferred or suspended.

00:15 Daniel Manarasta has the details.

00:17 The Commission on Human Rights' budget was suspended in the Senate's plenary

00:25 after the senators approved a statement from UMANO to one of their officials

00:31 where UMANO insisted on decriminalizing abortion.

00:36 Some senators did not like this statement.

00:40 I do not mind opinions. It is their right,

00:43 especially on contemporary human rights issues.

00:47 But as far as abortion is concerned, it is settled in our Philippine Constitution.

00:52 Article 2, Section 12, the state recognizes the sanctity of family life

00:58 and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution.

01:02 It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.

01:08 In the United States, dear gentlemen, they're already allowing late-stage abortion on the third trimester.

01:16 That's a child. Right?

01:20 My God. May God forgive them. May God forgive them.

01:24 I think that's a big mistake.

01:28 I believe in karma.

01:31 May I also put on record that this representation,

01:33 Senate President of the Philippines, is vehemently against abortion.

01:38 Some senators who have provisions in the Constitution

01:42 insisted that abortion is really illegal in the Philippines.

01:45 But as long as the agency does not make a clear statement,

01:49 the budget sponsor of the CHR itself deferred their budget.

01:54 We are 24 members here and we belong to different religions.

01:58 We have a Muslim here, we have Catholics here, we have Christians here, we have Protestants here.

02:04 And I think all of us agree that all of us are against abortion.

02:12 Mr. President, so I move that we defer first the deliberation of the budget of CHR

02:19 until they come with a stand against abortion, a strong stand against abortion.

02:26 Perhaps we should abort the deliberation of their budget, Mr. President,

02:31 so that they would have time to meet up and come up with a solid position.

02:37 Because we have been giving budget, Mr. President, for many years.

02:41 It also came out in the deliberation that there is foreign funding

02:44 that was obtained by the Commission in the implementation of some advocacy,

02:49 such as the one related to human rights.

02:53 But it was not for abortion.

02:56 That is why Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri is postponing the list of foreign agencies.

03:03 Daniel Manalastas for the Morning Show of the Philippines.