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  3. HSF Chairwoman meets with Partners and Stakeholders of the “Community-based Dialogues on Human Rights” Project

HSF Development Cooperation Work in the Philippines
HSF Chairwoman meets with Partners and Stakeholders of the “Community-based Dialogues on Human Rights” Project

On the occasion of the official visit to the Philippines of the Chairwoman of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), Prof. Ursula Männle, from 27 to 29 January 2016, to lead the Handover Ceremony to the new Resident Representative to the Philippines in the person of Mr. Götz Heinicke, she took the opportunity to meet and interact with members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and stakeholders of the project on “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” last 27 January 2016 in Manila.

HSF

Prof. Männle was accompanied by Mr. Michael Glos, HSF Board Secretary and former German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, and Ms. Sylvia Strassner, HSF Deputy Head for East and Southeast Asia Division, Institute for International Cooperation.

The meeting was attended by key representatives of all the partner organizations comprising the PSC:  Hon. Karen Gomez-Dumpit, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), Atty. Marlon Manuel, National Coordinator of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), Mr. Rafael C. Lopa, President and Executive Director of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF), Colonel Jose Antonio Carlos Motril, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Human Rights Office (AFP HRO), Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Enriquez, Officer-in-Charge of the Policy Development Section of the Philippine National Police Human Rights Affairs Office (PNP HRAO), and Ms. Rosemarie Trajano, Secretary General of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA).

HSF

Other project stakeholders also attended the meeting, namely:  Mr. Nolasco Ritz Lee Santos III, Chairperson of the Amnesty International Philippines, Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago, Executive Director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center, Atty. Jose Ma. Mendoza, Senior Access to Justice Expert of the EPJUST-2, Police Director Lina C. Sarmiento (Ret.), Chairperson of the Human Rights Claims Board, Brigadier General Rhoderick M. Parayno, Commander, 201st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, AFP  and Ms. Kathline Anne Tolosa, Executive Director of the Security Reform Initiative and Convenor, National Secretariat–“Bantay Bayanihan.”

Overall, they had a successful visit to the country, and found their talks and meetings with key representatives of partner organizations and stakeholders a valuable opportunity to hear first-hand their perspectives on the current situation of the country particularly in the field of human rights, rule of law, justice sector reform, and peace and development efforts particularly in the ARMM region, among others.

Prof. Männle was impressed with the fact that representatives from the CHRP, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the AFP and the PNP participated in the meeting and discussed the actual human rights situation in the country.  She noted that this is one concrete manifestation of the positive  outcome of the dialogue process and further emphasized that all the actors concerned engaged themselves in an open and honest way which is necessary for democratic development.

Prof. Männle expressed her gratitude to the project partners and stakeholders for a successful cooperation and committed to continue supporting the project in the future.

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