The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) campaign material for Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan (LaKaRan) caravan. (CHR photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has raised public awareness of its services in Leyte province through the two-day “Lakbay Karapatan Tungo sa Kamalayan” (LaKaRan) caravan.
Village officials were trained on the basic concept and principles of human rights and their role in strengthening human rights programs at the local level, CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc said in a news release Thursday.
The CHR caravan, held March 20 and 21 at a hotel in Palo town, included the Barangay Human Rights Action Officers (BHRAO) Summit, also attended by officials from Tanauan town.
“The idea is for our community officials to be capacitated to receive HR-related complaints and eventually refer them to us or the Philippine National Police for appropriate action,” Palpal-latoc said.
Lakaran aims to educate and promote the services of the agency and to reach more communities, especially the disadvantaged, marginalized, and vulnerable sectors of society.
Tanauan town in Leyte province is one of the two local government units in Eastern Visayas that has established a BHRAO through a local ordinance.
The CHR chairperson urged all local government units to establish a BHRAO.
Palpal-latoc also presented the “Alisto!” alert mechanism, a platform that could directly respond to attacks and threats against media workers.
He said initiative aligns with its commitment to implement the Philippine Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, a roadmap to promote the protection of media workers and safeguard press freedom.
The platform, he assured, is a safe space for journalists where they could report HR violations.
Once posted, the CHR will immediately conduct an investigation. (PNA)
