THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said it never dismissed the need for a separate inquiry concerning missing funds at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW).
This comes as over 1,000 CIW inmates have signed a petition demanding the return of alleged missing funds amounting to P6 million to P7 million, which came from family remittances and personal savings.
”The Commission remains fully committed to determining the facts and undertaking appropriate action within the bounds of our mandate — independently and without external interference,” CHR Commissioner Faydah Maniri Dumarpa said on Saturday.
In a meeting on Sept. 1 between representatives of the CHR, CIW and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Dumarpa said the CHR had acknowledged BuCor’s internal probe and turned down a proposal for a joint investigation, asserting its constitutional independence.
The CHR has conveyed its position to BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. through a letter.
”The Commission expressed hope that this openness would translate into tangible cooperation — including the prompt release of pertinent records, unimpeded access to information and other forms of assistance necessary for the CHR to discharge its constitutional duties,” Dumarpa said.
”The Commission shall continue to exercise its mandate independently, in full fidelity to the Constitution and with an unwavering focus on justice and accountability,” Dumarpa added.