CHAPTER 1 THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AS GENDER OMBUD N ational human rights institutions are important to realizing human rights outlined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Pursuant to this, the Paris Principles on National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) outline the work of human rights commissions as follows: (a) submit to the Government, Parliament, and any other competent body, on an advisory basis either at the request of the authorities concerned or through the exercise of its power, to hear a matter without higher referral, opinions, recommendations, proposals, and reports on any matters concerning the promotion and protection of human rights; (b) promote and ensure the harmonization of national legislation, regulations, and practices with the international human rights instruments to which the State is a party, and their effective implementation; (c) encourage ratification of the above-mentioned instruments or accession to those instruments, and to ensure their implementation; (d) contribute to the reports which States are required to submit to United Nations bodies and committees, and to regional institutions, pursuant to their treaty obligations and, where necessary, to express an opinion on the subject, with due respect for their independence; (e) cooperate with the United Nations and any other organization in the United Nations system, the regional institutions and the national institutions of other countries that are competent in the areas of the protection and promotion of human rights; (f) assist in the formulation of programmes for the teaching of, and research into, human rights and to take part in their execution in schools, universities and professional circles and; (g) publicize human rights and efforts to combat all forms of discrimination, in particular racial discrimination, by increasing public awareness, especially through information and education and by making use of all press organs.1 The CHR was created y the 1987 Constitution2, and officially established through Executive Order No. 163 on 05 May 1987. As a national human rights institution, it is mandated to investigate human rights violations involving civil and political rights; adopt guidelines and rules of procedures including citing of contempt for violations according to the Rules of Court; provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of human rights of all persons in the Philippines and those living abroad, including implementation of preventive measures and legal services for the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/StatusOfNationalInstitutions.aspx Section 17, 1987 Philippine Constitution 1 2