Reimagining a nation that respects freedoms, and puts justice and peace at the heart of governance

First, it is important to note how difficult it is for a nation to dream of a better situation, especially as the national psyche has become violently restrained toward waking up to news of heinous killings, illegal arrests and various human rights violations. Yet, we must dream—for without an end goal, we cannot fully appreciate the value of respecting human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is one of the most important international documents adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, when the world was still reeling from two consecutive world wars and a devastated economy. Freedom, justice and peace were its main keywords, and it laid out the basic rights of all citizens of the world, rights which were also enshrined in the Philippines’ Constitution under the Bill of Rights.

Despite being a state party to the UDHR, the Philippine government has habitually and nonchalantly violated the provisions of the declaration. From passing and weaponizing laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to silence its critics, to consistently killing not only persons but whole groups of people through massacres in the past years, the Duterte administration alone has —with great impunity — normalized human rights violations to the point that victims have been reduced to mere statistics. In many of the articles that have been written to document the violent Duterte years, one would read this many human rights advocates killed, that many incarcerated, many others slapped with trumped-up charges, the stories of their lives and advocacies lost in the cacophony of unrelenting violence.

This violent death count usually reverts to zero at the start of new administrations — not because justice has been served, but because this is how watchdogs keep count. And at this juncture, I believe it is the most opportune moment to ponder and think: What if our government leaders followed the UDHR to the letter? What if freedom, justice, and peace are also the main keywords of Philippine governance?

As a human rights lawyer, these questions spark in me vivid imaginings. To start, I could only think about how many more people would still be among us, alive and not just names etched in our memories. Our valiant human rights lawyers, who go through hell and high water each time they need to respond to emergencies, would be at the forefront not only in defending basic rights but also in spreading the good news of a caring and just society to the world. Our lawmakers would be burning the midnight oil not to craft legislation aimed at giving the state more power to abuse, but rather to further enrich each provision in the UDHR. Our law enforcement entities, the police and the military, would no longer be seen as vile adversaries in oppressed communities, but as actual partners in growth and development.

A nation that respects freedoms, and puts justice and peace at the heart of governance, is a nation that will not be blindsided in its pursuit of loftier goals. Without human rights violations hogging the evening news, important questions on the economy, culture and society will take center stage: How can we uplift the livelihoods of our fellow citizens? How can our economy provide decent jobs with livable wages? How can we beat inflation? How can we feed the poorest of the poor?

The hyper-focus on how impunity could be escalated and used as a blunt weapon to remain in power not only robs our nation’s leaders of precious hours that could have been dedicated to other fruitful pursuits, but also instills in them a horrid lack of compassion and care. No wonder the new President could simply set aside rising food prices as something “not that high.” No wonder why, in the face of an economic crisis, extravagant parties were held in broad daylight. To disrespect and violate human rights is to extinguish all forms of care and compassion.

Yet, at the end of this long dark tunnel that is the Philippine human rights situation, hope remains. To paraphrase a statement by the erstwhile founding chair of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, the late Atty. Romeo Capulong: We have brave citizens, and they deserve brave human rights defenders.

At this point, to reimagine the Philippine human rights situation, and to work for the realization of that vision, is an act requiring much-vaunted bravery from everyone.