Photo by Faisal Camsa Jr.
COTABATO CITY – In its effort to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights at the community level, the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) conducted an orientation-workshop on the creation of Barangay Human Rights Action Center (BHRAC) with the local officials of the region.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, barangays officials of Cotabato City underwent said activity. They were provided with basic knowledge and understanding on the concepts and principles of human rights, and skills on how to gather and collect data as to the needed information in conducting investigations on human rights violations.
BHRC Regional Promotion Head Atty. Alladin Tamama emphasized that barangay officials play a vital role in the promotion of human rights.
“Ang formation ng BHRAC ay napakahalaga sa pag-promote at pag-protect natin ng human rights […] at magkakaroon din ng action team na sila yung kasama sa pagmonitor at mag-educate sa kani-kanilang community,” Tamama said.
BHRAC is a program of the national Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to ensure that human rights is spread and preserved at the community level.
During the activity, City Director Muhammad Farzieh Abutazil of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) provided lectures on the revitalization and strengthening of the BHRAC program, policy and guidelines on the conduct of the election of the BHRA officers, and mainstreaming of human rights through rule of law and access to justice.
Barangay Kagawad Juharto Binangon of Rosary Heights XI, expressed his gratitude to the regional government for taking the initiative to reach out to the barangay local government units in order to strengthen the advocacy on human rights.
“As a public servant, nabibigayn tayo ng knowledge kung ano ba yung mas mahalagang bagay na pagtutuunan natin ng pansin regarding doon sa mga kaso ng mga constituents, lalo na ang karapatan ng bawat isa,” Binangon said.
BHRC has already conducted similar activity for the barangay officials in the provinces of Maguindanao and Tawi-Tawi last August, while for the other provinces is scheduled before the year ends. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
