In her remarks, Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman recalled her years spent as a community organizer doing human rights work and vowed that in her current capacity as local chief executive, she will do all her best to advocate human rights as the foundation of the ideal of a happy and dignified life for all Isabeleños, with dignity that can only come from human rights being respected and upheld.

Furthermore in her facebook post, Mayor Turabin-Hataman thanked the Sannguniang Panglungsod for their initiative in the passing  the very first Human Rights Defenders Protection Ordinance.

“ Congratulations and thank you. As a human rights worker, I am truly proud of this ordinance. I started my work 20 years ago in human rights and it served as the very core of my principles. Pero wala akong kinalaman dito, the initiative is purely theirs. Again thank you VM Kifli and the entire SP”, she said in her facebook post.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Jhul Kifli Salliman in his message during the awarding, he also cited other ordinances passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod that are also relevant to human rights  particularly for the welfare of different sectors like women, indigenous peoples and PWDs.

“The ordinance on Human Rights Defenders Protection is a highlight of the SP’s commitment to the ideals of democracy and human rights”, Vice Mayor Salliman stressed.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Isabela City approved and enacted the Human Rights Defenders’ Protection (HRDP) Ordinance last December 09, 2022. This ordinance was authored by Councilor Ritchie Biel.

According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights defenders are defined as those “who, individually or in association with others, acts or seeks to act to promote, protect or strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the local, national, regional and international levels. (NBE/EDT/NDR/PIA Basilan with reports from CIO isabela City)