๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐
by Vanessa Blanco
September 06, 2023
โAng justice para sa Pilipino ay gawin kung anong tama at nararapat.โ
This is how Human Rights Lawyer Jose Manuel โChelโ I. Diokno described the human rights situation in the country during the Webinar on Good Governance sponsored by NwSSU Center for Local Good Governance held Aug 31, 2023.
Diokno cited three reasons why human rights are important and why we are fighting for it against governmentโs abuse in the past years. These are accountability, empowerment, and equalization.
โAng totoong rason kung bakit ayaw nila ng human rights, ay dahil ayaw nila ng pananagutan, takot sila sa accountability, ayaw nilang ma-empower o mabigyan ng lakas ang ordinaryong mamamayan, at ayaw nila na maging patas ang buhay ng lahat,โ Diokno explained.
The human rights lawyer highlighted that for a long period of time, Filipinos were victims of injustice because bad governance does not respect human rights.
โSobrang laki ng halaga ng human right kaya tayo lumaban noon pa, lumaban sa mga Kastila, Amerikano, Sundalong-Hapon, dahil mahalaga sa atin ang ating buhay, dignidad at maiangat ang buhay natin,โ he stressed.
Diokno, who is the chairperson of Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), denied the allegation that human right defenders only defend criminals, instead, according to him most of his clients were victims of the injustice system in the country.
โHindi totoo ang mga human right defender na puro kriminal lang ang dinidepensahan nila, ang totoo po ay ang mga nagiging kliyente ko ay yung mga walang boses sa ating lipunan, yung mga naging biktima ng inhustiya pero walang malapitan na tutulong sa kanila,โ he said.
Diokno said that when we acknowledge a Filipino’s life, dignity, and improvements without seeing someoneโs wealth, that is the time that we are about to achieve our dreamt improvement for the country.
Another speaker during the webinar is Samar-based Lawyer Michael Q. Paca-anas who discussed the elements of good governance.
โIt is very important to people, for us to participate or to be involved in the governance, it is for us, it is our government,โ Paca-anas said.
โWe should have the opportunity to voice our opinion on particular matters relating to good governance in a constrained manner,โ the lawyer added.
