In Defense of the Right to Life: Analyzing Factors Affecting Filipino Opinion About Death Penalty A Study by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines1 and Iremae D. Labucay, Deputy Director for Cross-Cultural Networks/Senior Survey Specialist, Social Weather Stations The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) is the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) of the Philippines. Established by the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the CHR has a general jurisdiction for the protection of human rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal aid services to the underprivileged whose human rights have been violated or need protection. An “A” NHRI, the CHR complies with the Paris Principles on the Status of National Human Rights Institutions adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1995. The CHR demonstrates the following characteristics of Paris Principles- compliant NHRI: independence, pluralism, broad mandate, transparency, accessibility and operational efficiency. Principal authors and editors for this study from the CHR are Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit, Atty. Kristoffer Claudio and Ms. Marizen Santos. 1 v