The Commission on Human Rights urged Congress to pass a long-delayed measure creating an independent body that would regularly inspect jails, prisons, and other confinement facilities to prevent torture and abuse.
The CHR said the proposed National Preventive Mechanism was needed to strengthen safeguards for persons deprived of liberty, especially as detention facilities continue to face congestion, poor sanitation, inadequate health care, and prolonged pretrial detention.
The Philippines acceded in 2012 to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which requires the creation of an independent monitoring body for places where people are deprived of liberty.
More than a decade later, the CHR said the country has yet to comply with that obligation, weakening protections against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The commission backed pending House bills that would authorize regular and unannounced visits to detention facilities, access to records and conditions inside these facilities, and direct recommendations to authorities.
It said the proposed law should clearly cover not only jails and prisons but also psychiatric institutions, care homes, drug rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and other facilities where people may be confined.
The CHR also pushed for safeguards requiring the consent of persons deprived of liberty before cases discovered during monitoring visits are referred for administrative or criminal investigation, to protect them from possible retaliation.
The appeal came as jail congestion and court delays remain major concerns, with CHR citing data showing high numbers of untried detainees, deaths in custody, disease risks, and overcrowded conditions in Philippine detention facilities.