EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
the CHR has already investigated 19 cases of women
victims of EJKs. Five of these cases do not have any
link to illegal drugs, thus were considered cases
of “collateral damage” arising from the anti-drug
campaign. The CHR’s work in providing a gendered
and child rights perspectives to EJK is a continuing
endeavour of the Protection Office, the GEWHRC,
and the Child Rights Center to surface the invisible
victims of the campaign.
Beyond the monitoring of numbers,
programs, and policies in relation to MCW
provisions, the CHR is also concerned about
the impact of the MCW and monitors how the
implementation of its provisions contribute to
ensuring full enjoyment of women’s human rights.
Reports from the CHR regional offices showed
varying degrees of compliance to the provisions
of the MCW at the local level. Random visits to
monitor the functionality of barangay VAW desks
reveal operational gaps which were not reflected in
the DILG reports. These include limited material
resources and capabilities of the barangay to address
the needs of women victim-survivors of violence.
The CHR also monitored the situation of women in
detention at the national and regional levels.
In terms of Policy, and in addition to the
reports submitted to various treaty bodies, the CHR
strengthened its ties with development partners: the
UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on the National RH
Inquiry, and the UN Women on issues of migration.
It also partnered with civil society organizations
working on gender equality and women’s human
rights. The CHR Policy Office also leads the Stop the
Discrimination Coalition which has been actively
pushing for the passage of the Comprehensive AntiDiscrimination Law since 2015.
Statements and advisories calling for respect
for women’s human rights and the rights of persons
with diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
and Expression (SOGIE) are regularly issued by the
CHR Central and Regional Offices. A few of these
issuances referred to the Commission’s opposition
to showing the alleged sex video of Senator Leila
De Lima during a Congressional Inquiry, a call for
zero-tolerance for VAW, and the enjoinment to speak
out and hold accountable those tasked to address the
culture of violence against women. The Commission
also adopted a legislative agenda which included the
Comprehensive Anti-discrimination Bill (CADB),
the Anti-discrimination Bill on the Basis of SOGIE,
and the Divorce Law. It submitted position papers
and actively participated in legislative committee
hearings expressing support for the enactment of
these policies.
In terms of Promotion, the CHR Central
and Regional Offices maintain close working
relationships with government inter-agency
mechanisms, government agencies, academes, and
civil society organizations to promote the human
rights of women and persons with diverse SOGIE.
The CHR observes regular celebratory events, such as
Women’s Month (March), International Day Against
Homophobia and Trasphobia (IDAHOT) (May),
the Pride March (June), and the 18 Day Campaign
to End VAW (25 November – 18 December)
through internal and external capacity building, and
advocacy campaigns. In 2016, it conducted a total
of 281 celebratory activities and 97 information and
dissemination activities at the Central and Regional
Offices. Some of the Commission’s publications
launched in 2016 included the Gender Ombud
Guidelines which operationalizes the role of the
Commission as Gender Ombud, and the National
Inquiry Report on Reproductive Health. The latter
was also supplemented by six posters depicting
the results of the Inquiry, as well as an audio visual
presentation.