Vilma Santos against P1,000 budget for CHR, son Luis Manzano says

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Sep 13 2017 10:27 AM

MANILA - Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto is against the grant of a P1,000 budget to the Commission on Human Rights, but missed the vote because she was sick, her son said Wednesday.

Actor Luis Manzano made the clarification on Twitter, responding to one user who claimed Santos was among 119 lawmakers who approved the rights monitor's budget for next year.

Manzano posted a screenshot of a text message from his mother, which read: "Am against cutting the budget of CHR. They have a duty to perform as mandated by the constitution."

"With so much crimes/EJKs (extra judicial killings) - they need more resources to these investigations. Ito ang ahensyang tumutulong sa karapatang pangtao!!" the message read.

(This is the agency that upholds human rights.)

The House slashed the CHR's budget to P1,000 from the original proposal of P623.4 million. It will need to be reconciled with a Senate version of the budget before President Rodrigo Duterte can sign it into law.

Duterte had repeatedly criticized the CHR for raising concerns over his war on drugs.