46 | HUMANITY AMIDST CONFLICTS of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are state actors as well as state actors, we do expect responsible for extra-judicial killings. What that our pronouncements should be listened to happenedthere? “ and hopefully implemented. Andif they are not implemented, we willjust continue to report that Answerof Comm. Quisumbing: they are not being implemented. Those at the “What happenedthere is that, there were some local level, you know that media is a very good initiatives that were taken. Weare still waiting to partner in terms of reporting the CHR see whatfruits they are bearing. Iam asking you, pronouncements, butfor instance, next week Iam whatexactly you meanin terms of the powers of going to Geneva to speak on the Philippine institutionalbodies, can you be morespecific about situation before the Committee onthe Elimination the actualinstitutional bodies you mean?” ofRacial Discrimination.” Follow up question from the same Professor Miriam-CoronelFerrer: Participant: “I guess we all know how harditis to getjustice “Are these powers only recommendatory?” after humanrights violation has been committed and that has something to do with the witnesses Comm. Quisumbing: “Which institution?” in our criminal justice system, our state institutions and so on. And that is why we were Participant: “Bodies like the CHR.” asked, one of the most important interventions is preventive in nature. And that kind of Comm. Quisumbing: preventive interventions would be along thelines “Okay, you have mentioned the CHR, you have of trying to generate awareness so that the mentioned the Melo Commission. So we have armedparties do not commit this. Andforpeople concrete examples when wetalk about those. to actually demandthat both parties observe The Melo Commission wasestablishedfor a very international humanitarian law. specific mission and they have no power to enforce. They were only meant to look into, to “But there are also certainly other mechanisms report and to make recommendations. Very by other institutions that are in place in the clear. communities. We knowthatin other indigenous communities, they have tribal courts. They have “The CHR powers as you know, in the their own courts ofjustice. And I am happy to Constitution in Article XIII, Section 18, are very tell you that they are able to extract specific, quite limited. We admit, we have no accountabilities using their court ofjustice mouth, we use it. We report, against the NPA, against some AFP soldiers as we investigate, we nag, we advise, we holdfora well whetherit involves the payment of some like this. do not have powers to execute. blood moneyor retribution or some apology that We do not havejudicialpowers. We cannot then has been extracted from these parties. And put into action whatit is that we havesaid. largely because theyfollow their own courts, they However, because we are recognized as credible have their own organization. Andthe legal and and independent, and because we look at non- the peace negotiation framework certainly has teeth, we have a We