MANILA, Philippines – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) does not have the political will and capacity to create a human rights court in the region because there are member states that are still getting acquainted with the real meaning of human rights and are just beginning to manage and internalize it in their own society.
Philippine Representative to the High Level Panel on the ASEAN Human Rights Body Ambassador Rosario Manalo said prosecution in human rights cases and the creation of the court similar to Europe is not seen in the near future.
This development came as former senator and Secretary of National Defense Orlando Mercado presented his Letter of Credence as the Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia last March.
“No. We do not see it, but do not close that possibility,” Manalo said.
“For the moment, not only is there no political will but there is also no capacity of the member-states to do it. There is no capacity in the region to create a court of human rights in Southeast Asia,” she said.
The creation of the ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB) under the ASEAN Charter ratified by the member-countries is a policy-formulation body for the region with limited scope.
The regional human rights watchdog, which should be launched in October, will not have the power to investigate human rights violations in the ASEAN.
Even in the absence of investigative power, Manalo, one of the drafters of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the AHRB, said the strongest power of the body for the moment involves access to information, education and training that are instruments to provide capacity and understand what human rights really mean.
Meantime, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Permanent Representative Orlando Mercado was accompanied by Philippine embassy officials and Administrative Officer of the Philippine Mission to ASEAN Yusuf Usudan when he presented his Letter of Credence at the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia last March 20.–Pia Lee-Brago,Philippine Star
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
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July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
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Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
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Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
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National Culture Consciousness Week
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Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
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