Print logo
Jump to main navigation Jump to content
  1. Southeast Asia
  2. News
  3. CBD PSC Explores Partnership with DOJ for Joint Human Rights Undertaking

Community-based Dialogues Project (CBD)
CBD PSC Explores Partnership with DOJ for Joint Human Rights Undertaking

In response to last year’s recommendation to expand the Project Steering Committee (PSC) by involving additional government agencies, a meeting with the Department of Justice (DOJ) was convened on Feb. 14, 2025 at the DOJ main office in Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila. The DOJ’s inclusion will enhance the project's capacity to tackle key challenges while providing comprehensive support for the CBD project.

A group photo of PSC and DOJ-HRO representatives.

A group photo of PSC and DOJ-HRO representatives.

HSF PH 2025; HSF

Mr. Clemente presents a brief background about the CBD Project

Mr. Clemente presents a brief background about the CBD Project

HSF PH 2025; HSF

The meeting was attended by 12 participants comprising of representatives from the PSC and DOJ-Human Rights Office (DOJ-HRO).

The CBD Project

Mr. Rene Clemente presented a brief background/history of the “Community-based Dialogue Sessions on Human Rights Promotion and Protection between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, and Civil Society Organizations and Local Communities” project since its inception in 2008 to the present. 

The CBD is a project cooperation among the Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for Law of Armed Conflict (AFP CLOAC, formerly Human Rights Office); the Philippine National Police Human Rights Affairs Office (PNP HRAO) and Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development-Training Service/Regional Specialized Training Units  (DHRDD-TS/RSTUs), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) of Germany.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the human rights situation in the Philippines primarily through the enhancement of the relationship between the AFP and PNP, on one hand, and local communities and civil society organizations, on the other hand, in the common effort to promote human rights.

DOJ 2025; DOJ

Exploring DOJ Partnership for Enhanced Human Rights Protection

Since 2008, the PSC has no formal partnership with the DOJ. This meeting has been arranged to explore the possibility of cooperation with DOJ as part of the CBD project. 

The PSC believes that DOJ participation would significantly strengthen human rights dialogues in several ways: ensuring alignment with current laws and necessary legal reforms, improving access to justice, enhancing government accountability in addressing impunity, and fostering better relationships between law enforcement agencies (PNP, AFP) and human rights organizations (CHR, PAHRA, ALG). Ultimately, DOJ involvement would help institutionalize the outputs of the dialogues by ensuring that policy recommendations are considered in legal and judicial processes.

The DOJ-HRO and the CBD’s Project Steering Committee agreed to meet again to concretize future undertakings.