The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) warned that barring unvaccinated people from going out may cause “undue discrimination.”
“With all these challenges, preventing unvaccinated individuals from leaving their homes may result in undue discrimination considering that there are reasons for being unvaccinated that are beyond their control,” said CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann De Guia said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed the police and barangay captains to limit the movement of citizens who do not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 amid the rising number of Delta variants.
According to Duterte, he will tell the police to bring home those who come out without the vaccine because they are likely to spread the virus.
He said there is no end to the problem if the complaints are given, but they do not want to be vaccinated.
“Walang katapusan ito kung pagbigyan ko lang kayo. ‘Pag mahina ang loob ko dahil mag-iyak-iyak kayo diyan, eh ibang istorya ito, adre. Bayan itong pinag-uusapan natin kaya kung ayaw ninyong makatulong by having the vaccines, eh ‘di huwag na lang kayong lumabas ng bahay,” said Duterte.
CHR: Preventing unvaccinated from going out may cause ‘undue discrimination’
Duterte added that it is the job of the barangay captains to see who else in his constituency does not yet have the vaccine.
However, the CHR commissioner said Duterte’s order could affect Filipinos negatively.
“Such restrictions will ultimately have an impact on their abilities to cope with the effects of the pandemic, including effects on livelihood and ability to fend for themselves in the absence of explicit proposals for aid while in isolation,” she said.
According to the Siracusa Principles adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1984, restricting human rights in times of emergency must be based on necessity and lawful and proportionate to its goal, the CHR said.
“These principles also cite that policies restricting human rights—in this case, freedom of movement—must be based on scientific evidence; neither arbitrary nor discriminatory; and should especially be mindful of its possible disproportionate impacts to marginalized populations,” she said.
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