By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Cordillera sought the help of media practitioners here to help monitor how efficient government is in upholding and protecting the rights of its people.

Atty. Lyndon T. Morales of the CHR-Cordillera reiterated that the media has the power not just to disseminate information and educate the public about human rights but also to monitor the performance of the government in its obligation to promote and protect human rights.

He added that the media should also write about how the government is fulfilling its obligations to the international human rights treaties and instruments it has signed.

The human rights instruments the government signed include the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR), Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention Against Torture and other forms of Cruel Act and Degrading Treatment and Punishment (CAT);

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW).

“The government has the obligation to comply with the provisions of these international instruments that it has signed,” Morales stressed.

He added that the media should take time to familiarize themselves with the provisions of these instruments to be able to help assess the performance of the government and bring to the public’s attention if the government is not doing its job.

Morales pointed out this important role of media practitioners during a forum on Human Rights and the Media last May 25 at the Philippine Information Agency office here in commemoration of the death of Jose “Ka Pepe” W. Diokno and as part of the 25th foundation anniversary of CHR.

He added that this is the first of a series of lectures on human rights for this year.

The CHR official explained that the forum aims to enhance the knowledge of media practitioners about the basic principles, laws, treaties, and declarations on human rights as he appealed to them to cite or include these principles and declarations in their reports for a better understanding of the wider public. # nordis.net