THE Senate has started plenary debates on a bill filed by pro-administration Sen. Francis Escudero seeking to clothe the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) with powers to directly prosecute cases of human-rights violations, similar to the authority wielded by Department of Justice prosecutors.

In addition, the bill provides that arrests made by all law-enforcement agencies should be reported to the CHR within 48 hours.

Escudero said the refined bill, embodied in Report 37 submitted by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, would “strengthen the functional and structural organization” of the CHR once the measure is enacted into law.

“Under its present mandate, CHR is neither a judicial nor a quasijudicial body. Its jurisdiction is limited only to civil and political rights,” Escudero explained. “We want to equip it with significant power to include economic, social and cultural rights.”

He pointed out that, at present, the CHR is restricted by the Constitution to preventive measures, such as initiating applications in court for judicial writs and orders, conduct investigation and receive evidence of violations of human rights, among others.

He added that the authority of the commission is being expanded to include quasijudicial power to “render it more effective and authoritative.”

“The mandate of the CHR is vital in ensuring that it enacts the state policy to secure, protect and guarantee the dignity of its citizens and to ensure the fulfillment of such citizens’ human rights. Therefore, CHR could no longer be regarded as a toothless tiger,” he said.

Escudero noted that the bill likewise gives CHR visitorial powers to all detention cells all over the country to monitor the state of the facilities and detainees.