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.

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – All is not lost for the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) after the House of Representatives slashed the  agency’s 2018 budget from P678 Million to just P1,000.

The saving grace comes from two sitting senators on the opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on Thursday pushed for the approval of his bill that would allow taxpayers to allocate five percent of their taxes to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Aquino said his Senate Bill No. 699 or the People’s Fund Bill gives taxpayers a chance to decide to which agency a portion of their taxes will go.

Almost simultaneously, Senator Manny Pacquiao filed Senate Bill No. 700 that would restore funding for CHR.

In his proposal, Pacquiao said that instead of adding more burden to the already-burdened Filipino taxpayers, all the sitting Senators should donate their 2018 salaries to CHR.

“If the Senate is so concerned about protecting the human rights of our citizens, we should be able to set the example by giving up our salaries so the CHR can continue to do its work,” the boxer-turned-Senator told The Adobo Chronicles.

The two proposed bills will come up for a vote on Monday.

Which Bill do you think the Senate will pass?  Let us know in the comments section.

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Commissioner Chito Gascon of the Commission on Human Rights is crying foul and is accusing the House of Representatives of violating his human rights.

Gascon’s accusation came just days after the House voted to reduce the commission’s budget from millions of pesos to exactly P1,000.  That’s ONE THOUSAND PESOS.

Asked by The Adobo Chronicles which of his human rights Congress violated, Gascon responded:

“My basic human right to earn money and make a living.  How can you expect me to survive with a salary of P1,000 a year?”

Gascon plans to appeal the House decision, but in the meantime he says he has applied with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4 Ps) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.  Among others, the program aims to provide cash assistance to address short-term financial need of poor Filipinos.