MANILA, Philippines—The government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic should not be purely a peace and order approach but also take human rights into consideration, according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR ) on Tuesday (Aug. 4). The CHR said the government and its officials must be a source of empathy as a lot of people suffer from the disastrous impact of the pandemic and not resort to brute force to enforce health protocols. The commission, said CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia, “sees the value of imposing health guidelines and protocols to ensure that everyone’s health is protected during this pandemic.” “We believe that asserting individual rights must also take into account the obligation to protect other people’s rights,” she said. De Guia said everyone “must treat the pandemic as a public health crisis which considers the human rights dimensions of the situation rather than approaching our present circumstances from a peace and order lens.” “At this point, ... » Learn More about CHR: Pandemic response needs human rights dimension