Passage of Human Rights Defenders Protection bill might stall at SenateThis file photo shows Karapatan protesting the killings of two of its members: Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala and peasant leader Nonoy Palma. The House this week approved on third and final reading the Human Rights Defenders Protection bill authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman. According to the Senate website, SBN-179 or the proposed Human Rights Defenders Protection Act has been pending at the committee level since 2019. Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, in March 2021 called on Philippine Congress to make passage of a bill to protect human rights defenders a priority. States that enact legislation to protect human rights defenders "send a clear message about their willingness to uphold their human rights obligations," she also said.

Source: Philippine Star January 18, 2022 14:22 UTC