MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chito Gascon is all smiles these days.

While the House of Representatives slashed CHR’s 2018 budget to a measly P1,000, the Senate approved a P678 Million to fund the agency.

But wait, there’s more.

In an unprecedented action, all 24 sitting senators unanimously voted to forfeit their one-year salaries beginning January, 2018 and add the total amount to the already approved P678 M CHR budget.

With senator salaries averaging at P1.4 M per year, the additional appropriation for CHR amounts to P33 Million which brings the total Senate-approved budget to over P700 Million.

ln addition to forefeiting their salaries, the senators also urged Commission Chair Gascon to give up his one-year salary and accept a symbolic annual pay for 2018 of P1.

Gascon has yet to respond to the senator’s request.