TEACHER'S GUIDE

United Nations High Materials

Commission for Human
Rights in relation to the
Philippine Fundamental
Laws
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you
should be able to:
 Promote understanding and
practice of human rights values
 Create awareness and foster
concern of human rights
violations and its effects on
people’s lives
 Cultivate a sense of shared
responsibility
Computer, Student Activity Sheet, MS Access
References
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/herean
dnow/Part-3/Activity7.htm
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/chr/pages/commissiononh
umanrights.aspx
https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1145101/download
https://www.slideshare.net/wangluxh09/article-ii-philippine-
constitution
https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/human rights
basics
https://www.nihrc.org/uploads/publications/Inspiring_Practices
.pdf

Name: ________________ Course, Year and Section: ______ Program: ____

Lesson Preparation/ Review/Preview

1. What do you think is the message of this shared thought below?

Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to
home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world.
Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the
school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works.’ -- Eleanor
Roosevelt Reporting for Rights

2. What is your idea about the logo or the emblems below?

Why do you think these agencies are created?
Do they answer to the problems that the world
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Presentation (Concepts Notes/Connect to Understand)

Human Rights

Human rights are standards that allow all people to live with dignity, freedom,
equality, justice, and peace. Every person has these rights simply because they are
human beings. They are guaranteed to everyone without distinction of any kind, such
as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
property, birth, or other status. Human rights are essential to the full development of
individuals and communities.

Many people view human rights as a set of moral principles that apply to
everyone. Human rights are also part of international law, contained in treaties and
declarations that spell out specific rights that countries are required to uphold.
Countries often incorporate human rights in their own national, state, and local laws.

Importance of Human Rights

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 Human rights reflect the minimum standards necessary for people to live with
dignity. Human rights give people the freedom to choose how they live, how they
express themselves, and what kind of government they want to support, among many
other things. Human rights also guarantee people the means necessary to satisfy their
basic needs, such as food, housing, and education, so they can take full advantage of
all opportunities. Finally, by guaranteeing life, liberty, equality, and security, human
rights protect people against abuse by those who are more powerful.

According to the United Nations, human rights:

“Ensure that a human being will be able to fully develop and use human qualities
such as intelligence, talent, and conscience and satisfy his or her spiritual and other.”

Characteristics of Human Rights

Origin of Human Rights

The modern human rights era can be traced to struggles to end slavery,
genocide, discrimination, and government oppression. Atrocities during World War II
made clear that previous efforts to protect individual rights from government violations
were inadequate. Thus was born the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as
part of the emergence of the United Nations (UN).

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 The UDHR was the first international document that spelled out the “basic civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human beings should enjoy.” The
declaration was ratified without opposition by the UN General Assembly on December
10, 1948.

When it was adopted, the UDHR was not legally binding, though it carried great
moral weight. In order to give the human rights listed in the UDHR the force of law, the
UN drafted two treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The
division of rights between these two covenants is artificial, reflecting the global
ideological divide during the Cold War. Though politics prevented the creation of a
unified treaty, the two covenants are interconnected, and the rights contained in one
covenant are necessary to the fulfillment of the rights contained in the other. Together,
the UDHR, ICCPR, and ICESCR are known as the International Bill of Human Rights.
They contain a comprehensive list of human rights that governments must respect,
protect, and fulfill.

Outline of the International Bill of Human Rights

 The right to equality and freedom from discrimination

 The right to life, liberty, and personal security
 Freedom from torture and degrading treatment

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  The right to equality before the law
 The right to a fair trial
 The right to privacy
 Freedom of belief and religion
 Freedom of opinion
 Right of peaceful assembly and association
 The right to participate in government
 The right to social security
 The right to work
 The right to an adequate standard of living
 The right to education
 The right to health
 The right to food and housing

Responsible for Upholding Human Rights

Under human rights treaties, governments have the primary responsibility for
protecting and promoting human rights. However, governments are not solely
responsible for ensuring human rights. The UDHR states:

“Every individual and every organ of society … shall strive by teaching and
education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive
measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition
and observance.”

This provision means that not only the government, but also businesses, civil
society, and individuals are responsible for promoting and respecting human rights.

When a government ratifies a human rights treaty, it assumes a legal obligation

to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights contained in the treaty. Governments are
obligated to make sure that human rights are protected by both preventing human
rights violations against people within their territories and providing effective remedies
for those whose rights are violated. Government parties to a treaty must do the
following:

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United Nations Commission on Human Rights

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was established in 1946 to

weave the international legal fabric that protects our fundamental rights and freedoms.
Composed of 53 States members, its brief expanded over time to allow it to respond to
the whole range of human rights problems and it set standards to govern the conduct
of States. It also acted as a forum where countries large and small, non-governmental
groups and human rights defenders from around the world voiced their concerns.

During its regular annual session in Geneva, for which over 3,000 delegates from
member and observer States and from non-governmental organizations participated,
the Commission adopted about a hundred resolutions, decisions and Chairperson's
statements on matters of relevance to individuals in all regions and circumstances. It
was assisted in this work by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights, a number of working groups and a network of individual experts,
representatives and rapporteurs mandated to report to it on specific issues.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINE SETTING

Declaration of Policy Section 11 of Article II 1987 Constitution

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SECTION 11. The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full
respect for human rights.

Human Rights
• Belief in inherent dignity of every human person basis of human right
A human person is a being not a thing.
• In a democratic state, the individual enjoys certain rights which cannot be
modified or taken away by the lawmaking body.

The COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (CHR) and Its Mandate

The mandate of the CHR is to look into the observance of human rights in the
country. It is directed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to ensure that the government
complies with international treaties on human rights signed onto by the Philippine
government (Article XIII, Section 18-7). This includes the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). In addition,
under the Paris Principles, the CHR is a duly recognized National Human Rights Institution,
which means that the body is effectively a “watchdog against human rights abuses by the
government,” as explained by the commission through a September 8 post on its official
Facebook page.

As such, the CHR has bark, but no bite. It examines cases on its own or on the basis
of complaints brought to its attention but holds no prosecutorial powers. It can expose,
criticize, condemn but it cannot pursue cases in court. It can only recommend such action.
(“VERA Files Fact Sheet: The Commission on Human Rights, explained,” VERA Files, August
2)

PHILIPPINES 2018 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

The Philippines is a multi-party, constitutional republic with a bicameral

legislature. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, elected in May 2016, began his
constitutionally limited six-year term in June 2016. The 2016 presidential election was
generally seen as free and fair. Barangay (village) and youth council elections originally
scheduled for 2016 were twice postponed but ultimately held in May. These, too, were
generally free and fair, although there were reports of violence and vote buying.
Civilian control over the Philippine National Police (PNP) continued to improve but
was not fully effective.

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 Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the country for
many years and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the antidrug campaign in 2016,
they continued in the reporting year, albeit at a lower level. From January to September
29, media chronicled 673 deaths in police operations suspected to be connected with
the government’s antidrug campaign. The PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is required
to investigate all deaths or injuries committed in the conduct of a police operation. IAS
claimed it began investigations of all reported extrajudicial killings. There were no
reports that civilian control over other security forces was inadequate.

Human rights issues included unlawful or arbitrary killings by security forces,

vigilantes, and others allegedly connected to the government, and by insurgents; forced
disappearance; torture; arbitrary detention; harsh and life-threatening prison
conditions; political prisoners; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; criminal
libel; killings of and threats against journalists; official corruption and abuse of power;
and the use of forced and child labor.

The government investigated a limited number of reported human rights abuses,

including abuses by its own forces, paramilitaries, and insurgent and terrorist groups.
Concerns about police impunity increased significantly following the sharp increase in
killings by police in 2016. President Duterte publicly rejected criticism of alleged police
killings, but said authorities would investigate any actions taken outside the rule of law.
Significant concerns persisted about impunity of civilian national and local government
officials and powerful business and commercial figures. Slow judicial processes
remained an obstacle to bringing government officials allegedly involved in human
rights abuses to justice.

Muslim separatists, communist insurgents, and terrorist groups continued to

attack government security forces and civilians, causing displacement of civilians and
resulting in the deaths of security force members and civilians. Terrorist organizations
engaged in kidnappings for ransom, bombings of civilian targets, beheadings, and the
use of child soldiers in combat or auxiliary roles. The government called off negotiations
with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the political arm of the
communist New People’s Army, in June, but continued to explore ways to resume talks.

Practice/Exercises/Collaborative Activities

A. Human Rights Collage

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Materials Needed:

Newspapers, magazines, tape or glue, scissors, flip chart paper or art paper, a
copy of UDHR

Procedure:
This activity can be used as a tool in identifying how human rights are violated
and assess whether or not these violations are taking place in your community.

Read through the UDHR. Cut out pictures and articles (collected
newspapers/magazines/website readings that represent where you believe people’s
rights are being upheld and where they are being violated. Make a collage out of what
you find.

Showcase at least 4 examples of where human rights were upheld or violated,

and which article of the UDHR they referred to.
Take a screenshot of your collage and send it to your instructor answering the
follow-up question:
a. Of the rights that are being violated, what can be done to uphold them?

B.MAPPING OUT

Materials: Art supplies, chart paper

Copies of the UDHR, complete or simplified version

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Procedure:

1. Draw a map of your town (or neighborhood in the case of larger communities). This
should include homes, major public buildings (e.g., parks, post office, city hall, schools,
places of worship) and public services (e.g., hospitals, fire department, police station)
and any other places that are important to the community (e.g., grocery stores,
cemetery, cinemas, gas stations).

2. When the map is complete, analyze your map from a human rights perspective.
What human rights do they associate with different places on their maps?

For example

A place of worship with freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; the school
with the right to education; the post office with the right to information, to privacy, and
to self-expression. As you identify these rights, look up the relevant article(s) in the
UDHR and write the article number(s) next to that place on the map.

3 Make an analysis of the human rights exercised in your community.

 Did any parts of your map have a high concentration of rights? How do you
explain this?

 Did any parts have few or no rights associations? How do you explain this?

 Are there any articles of the UDHR that seem to be especially exercised in this
community? How can this be explained?

 Are there any articles of the UDHR that no group included on their map? How
can this be explained?

 Which of the rights identified are civil and political rights? Which are social,
economic, and cultural rights? See Part V, A Human Rights Glossary. Did one
kind of right predominate on the map? Did one kind of right predominate in
certain areas (e.g., more civil and political rights associated with the court house,
city hall, or police station)?

 What rights you would like to add to your map, especially those that were not
included in the first version?

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4. Discuss:

 Are there any places in your community where people’s rights are violated?
 Are there any people in your community whose rights are violated?
 What happens in this community when someone’s human rights are violated?
 Are there any places in this community where people take action to protect
human rights or prevent violations from occurring?

Performance:

Directions: Fill each blank with the correct answer. (NO ABBREVIATIONS)

1. _______________________ are standards that allow all people to live with

dignity, freedom, equality, justice, and peace.
2. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was ratified without
opposition by the UN General Assembly on __________________________.
3. The CHR is effectively a “_______________________ against human rights
abuses by the government”.
4. __________________________ remained an obstacle to bringing government
officials allegedly involved in human rights abuses to justice.
5. ___________________ have been the chief human rights concerns in the
Philippines for many years.
6. The _____________________ is a duly recognized national Human Rights
Institution.
7. __________________________ must not deprive people of a right or interfere
with persons exercising their rights.
8. The ______________________ is required to investigate all deaths or injuries
committed in the conduct of a police operation.
9. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights holds its regular
session_________________________.
10-11. The ________________________ was established in to
weave the international legal fabric that protects our fundamental rights and
freedom.

12. The _____________________ was the first international document that spelled
out the “basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human
beings should enjoy.”

13-15. Together, the ___________________, ____________________, and

are known as the International Bill of Human Rights
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 16. ________________________ must take positive action to facilitate the
enjoyment of basic human rights.

17. ____________________ gives people the freedom to choose how they live, how
they express themselves, and what kind of government they want to support, etc.

18. The ____________________ contains comprehensive list of human rights that

governments must respect, protect, and fulfill.

19. ____________________ are obligated to make sure that human rights are
protected by both preventing human rights violations against people within their
territories and providing effective remedies for those whose rights are violated.

20. A is a being not a thing.

Essay. Directions: Answer the following questions in 3-6 sentences. Write your
answer on the blank.

1. What are Human Rights?

2. Enumerate the 5 characteristics of human rights and explain each.

3. Why is it important to learn about human rights?

Assignment

Are these human rights violations? Decide if the following statements describe a
human rights violation. If there is a human rights breach, decide whether it is covered
in the European Convention on Human Rights.

1. Before class starts, the teacher says, “You can’t pray in school”.

2. A child in the family goes to sleep hungry because the parents have no money to buy
food.

3. A woman receives poor education in her secondary school and is rejected for every
job she applies for.

4. A political party refuses to allow a woman to stand as their candidate for an election
when they discover that she is a lesbian.

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5. A Waray student speaks Waray to another student. The principal tells the students
that only English can be spoken in the school.

6. A woman is ill and is refused an operation because the health authority has only
enough money to perform one operation and chooses a woman much younger.

7. A victim gives a statement to a police officer who then disregards it because the
victim is a relative of the accused.

8. A man who has served 10 years in prison for possessing explosives is refused a job
in a bank.

9. A newspaper is not allowed to publish the method of making a bomb.

10. A police officer arrests a man, who physically resists and yells abuse at the officer.
The police officer handcuffs him and then hits him three times with his police baton.

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