70 barangays now have human rights action center in Legazpi City

By Marlon A. Loterte

Tuesday 31st of July 2012

LEGAZPI CITY, July 31 (PIA) -– With the establishment of a Human Rights Action Center in the 70 barangays across the city, village residents will now have a nearer institution protecting their rights against abuses.

Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal said Tuesday that over a hundred village officials have already undergone training to manage the Barangay HRAC.

Rosal said they were also equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in adopting and confronting human right concerns in the community.

She added that a training workshop was conducted July 18 at the city hall by the city government in partnership with Councilor Melissa Abadeza, chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

The training was in compliance with the Department of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular 94-194 on October 27, 1994 enjoining all barangays to pass and adopt a resolution for the establishment of an HRAC.

Rosal said the Human Rights Workshop will give village officials more knowledge on the rights of every individual and to protect them from any abuse and other violations of the laws to maintain peacefulness in the community.

She said the city has been considered a haven for investment in Bicol, because it has been regarded as one of the models of a peaceful place.

“We will work together to maintain our good image in order to attract more investors to do business here and will create more job opportunities to our constituents,” Rosal said.

Meanwhile, Abadeza said the HRAC would be strengthened by crafting necessary legislative action that would protect every individual right and to ensure that the justice system will become more effective in the barangays.

Abadeza said she has submitted the proposed measures to the Sangguniang Panglungsod for the creation of Barangay Human Rights Action Center in the city’s 70 villages.

She said the main functions of the BHRAC is to receive complaints of any human rights violation in a particular locality and to refer it to the nearest Commission on Human Rights regional office or sub-office for investigation.

It is also tasked to conduct human rights information and education activities in the village. (MAL/MSA-PIA5, Albay)