Philippines: Law proposals for the protection of defenders

In the Philippines, two proposals on the protection of human rights defenders are pending. As stated in the attached article:

“The effect of Duterte’s violent rhetoric and policies will continue to be felt long after his stepping down from office on June 30. The trail he left from the time he left Malacañang is not only bloody, but also littered with shreds of the public’s understanding of human rights. 

This is what legislators like Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman and the Makabayan bloc – including Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel, ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, and Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas – want to counter. 

House Bills 00077 (filed by Lagman) and 00256 (filed by the Makabayan bloc) – both called the Human Rights Defenders Protection Act – seek to put in place mechanisms that will promote and protect the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders in the Philippines.”

Find the original publication here in English (Rappler).