ASSISTANCE AND VISITORIAL OFFICE

The Assistance and Visitorial Office is the oversight entity of the CHRP in the mobilization of resources for the provision of assistance services to human rights vistims and their families, and in the continuing monitoring and reporting of the conditions of the country's jails and detention centers and the prisoners therein. It establishes an effective referral management service mechanism to respond to the diverse needs of human rights victims and their families to include rehabilitation, financial assistance, medical and legal aid among others. Its two divisions are: Assistance and Visitorial Division (AVD) and Forensic and Medical Division (FMD). The functions of the office are:

•  Undertake continuing studies and formulate/update plans, policies, programs as well as operating systems and procedures to improve the mobilization of external and internal resources for HR victims' assistance services, including the continuing review and updating of the CHRP assistance packages as well as assistance delivery policies, rules and procedures;

•  Develop standards, guidelines and procedures in the provision of forensic and medical examination services to help in the establishment of evidence on human rights violation cases;

•  Develop, monitor and evaluate the implementation of rights based policies, programs, activities and internal/external reporting systems for the monitoring and inspection of the conditions of jails/prisons and prisoners/detainees using national and international human rights standards; provide advise and recommendations to the government; and monitor and report actions and reactions of government authorities thereon;

•  Establish policies, strategies, programs and guidelines for the development of partnerships and collaborative mechanism for the mobilization of resources of other specialized agencies providing forensic and medical examination services by government agencies of human rights cases;

•  Oversee, monitor and evaluate the performance of the entire CHRP assistance program and operations of the CHRP regional offices in the mobilization of regional and CHRP resources for the provision of financial and social assistance and in the direct delivery of the CHRP assistance services;

•  Conducts rights based monitoring of the application of forensic and medical services by government agencies of human rights cases;

•  Directcly provide forensic and medical services on human rights cases as may be appropriate and where an independent examination by the CHRP is required, as may be determined by the Commission en Banc; and

•  Perform such other related functions as may be assigned.

 

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Assistance Program

The Assistance Program covers financial facilitation, witness protection, counseling, medical and other social services aimed at providing relief, protection and capacity building for re-entry of human rights victims and or their families into normal living conditions.

The CHR grants financial assistance to victims of human rights violations including torture victims, survivors or heirs. Based on CHR Resolution No. A-96-060 of 10 September 1996, the Financial Assistance Packages include

•  Survivor's benefit P15,000/victim For immediate surviving heirs of the victim

•  Medical Assistance not to exceed P7,000/victim To help defray the cost of medical treatment or Hospitalization expenses

•  Incidental Emergency Expenses: P8,000/region/Month; or P2,500/sub region/month
As emergency financial assistance to cover the Cost providing the urgent needs of victims of human rights violations such as transportation Expenses, meals, medicines and other similar Expenses, as provided under the existing rules and regulations

•  Community Assistance: P3,000/family/month For families uprooted from their place of abode as a result or in the course or by reason of the commission of human rights violations For victims of human rights violations not covered under the existing guidelines on financial assistance but are in dire need of financial grants because their life, health and security are threatened and it appears that there is no government agency that can provide immediate assistance to the victims

•  Rehabilitation Assistance: not to exceed P1,000/Month For victims of unjust imprisonment or detention based on the number of months of imprisonment or detention with every fraction thereof considered one month and a maximum amount assistance of P10,000

Other forms of Rehabilitation Assistance(particularly for torture survivors)

•  Any person under detentionwho was subject to cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment by the prison authorities shall be entitled to financial assistance in an amount not exceeding P10,000 subject to the submission of documentary requirements under CHR Resolution No. A89-125 (emphasis ours).

•  Any person under custodial investigation who was subject to cruel or inhuman punishment in order to extort confession or for any other purpose shall likewise be entitled to financial assistance of P10,000 subject to aforementioned requirements(emphasis ours).

•  Any person who has been detained on charges of committing crimes in pursuit of political belief or who has been convicted of committing similar offenses and later on released after serving sentence or by virtue of the grant of amnesty or executive clemency shall be entitled to financial assistance in the amount of P10,000 to enable the person to start a new and productive life.

Visitorial Services

Under Visitorial Services, CHRP assesses jail and prison conditions against national and international human rights standards for the treatment of prisoners and detainees, reports to the public the results of such monitoring and prepares advisories to pertinent government agencies accountable to jail management and the protection of the rights of prisoners and detainees.

The CHRP through its Regional Offices conducts jail visitation all over the Philippines. In all these visits, CHRP observed and noted the numerous problems facing the Philippine Custodial System that lead to violations of international standards to safeguard the rights of detainees.

Forensic Services (Medico-legal Services)

The Forensic and Medical Division of the CHRP consists of forensic investigation and medical services. In the pursuit of CHRP mandate on human rights protection, the FMD undertakes various programs, projects and services utilizing forensic medicine in the pursuit of justice and in the prevention of human rights violation and criminality. The programs and services are the ffg.:

•  Perform autopsies and/or exhumation/autopsies

•  Perform medico-physical (MP) examination and diagnosis

•  Perform medico-genital (MG) examinations

•  Perform torture examination and treatment

•  Implements torture prevention program

•  Perform skeletal analysis

•  Motu-propio forensic investigation of human rights violations

•  Testifies in courts/administrative bodies as expert witness

•  Photographic documentation

•  Medical Services

•  Medical assistance to agency personnel and relatives

•  Ambulance service

•  Conduct medical missions and jail visitations

•  Perform pre-employment medical examination

•  Recommendation/medical advisories and medical examination and treatment

•  Interpretation of medical documents

•  Issuance of medical certification

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE AVO (OD-AVO)

The Office of the Director of the AVO is the one that oversees, monitor, evaluate and direct the performance of the two divisions of the AVO in the mobilization of the CHRP's resources for the provision of financial, visitorial, forensic, medical and other services, then prepare and submit a periodic report to the Chairperson through its Commission-In-Charge (CIC) and the Executive Director (ED) on the operation of the office.

For inquiries please contact the following:

DR. RENANTE A. BASAS
AVO Director

DR. JESSE REY T. CRUEL
FMD Manager Designate

ATTY. ERIC D. MESOGA
AVO Attorney IV

Tel. 926-29-05 Assistance and Visitorial Office