The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains committed to achieving the goals of the justice sector reform agenda in partnership with civil society, international partners and other stakeholders.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla made this remark at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHCR) regular Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday.
“The Philippine Government, under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will do its utmost to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms to deliver ‘Real Justice in Real Time’ to all Filipinos,” Remulla pointed out.
The comprehensive reform program, Remulla said, includes concrete measures to decongest Philippine prisons; improve case build-up via enhanced cooperation between prosecutors, investigators, and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); and reaching out to civil society to bolster witness protection.
The justice department chief updated the UN body regarding the progress made by the Philippines in connection with earlier recommendations of the international body.
“Rest assured, the Marcos Administration, through the Department of Justice, together with other national institutions and stakeholders, is working on these improvements and spearheading transformational reform of its justice and law enforcement sectors and pushing forward with a comprehensive human rights agenda,” Remulla pointed out.
Remulla also announced the country’s acceptance of the 200 recommendations – more than two-thirds of all the recommendations during the UPR.
“We do so because these are important areas and issues in which the government is already working, and in many cases, even going beyond the accepted recommendations. They fall within the scope of and bolster the Philippine Government’s ongoing human rights policies, programs, and initiatives,” said Remulla.
The DOJ secretary, however, said the country has observed claims and recommendations that “rest on less than solid premises or are not in line with our cultural values, religious beliefs, and national identity.”
“As our system of government consists of three independent and co-equal branches, each with its own mandate, we will review them in consultation with relevant stakeholders back home,” said Remulla.
This is the fourth time that the Philippines has participated in the UPR.
Previous reviews took place in 2008, 2012, and 2017. #
