Jovito R. Salonga Policy Studies

19/08/2026

📷: Early draft version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In December 1948, the UN General Assembly gathered in Paris and adopted this landmark document.

Since then, its principles have been key in helping guide humanity toward a world of greater freedom, equality and justice for all.

16/08/2026

Follow the Drug War Truth Commission for more accurate stories:

An independent, civil society-led body tasked to find out the truth about "drug war" killings in the Philippines, restore dignity to the victims, and foster healing and reform.

15/08/2026

Defining the “family” in the current context

'[FAMILY] DOES NOT MEAN… ONLY A MARRIED COUPLE WITH CHILDREN'

As the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday concluded its oral arguments on the recognition of foreign divorce between two Filipinos, Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said that there can be strong families even without marriage.

At one point, Leonen then asked Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe if a widow and a child, a single parent, a single parent with a partner they are not married to, an unmarried couple with children, same-sex partners with adopted children, and an orphan being taken care of by his or her grandparents were considered family.

Berberabe answered yes to each one.

“Therefore, when we read family there, that is to be strengthened as an autonomous social institution, it does not mean… only a married couple with children,” Leonen said.

He cited Article II, Section 12 of the Constitution, which starts with: "The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution."

Read the whole story here:
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/998113/sc-ends-oral-arguments-on-foreign-divorce-leonen-says-who-to-love-is-human-right/story/

13/08/2026

12/08/2026

Karapatang pumili ng kabiyak sa buhay

'OUR CHOICE OF WHO TO LOVE AND NOT LOVE IS A HUMAN RIGHT'

As the Supreme Court on Tuesday concluded its oral arguments on the recognition of foreign divorce between two Filipinos, Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said that the choice of whom to love is a human right.

“Would you agree with me that our capacity to love and our choice of who to love and not love is a human right?” Leonen said during his interpellation of Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe, to which the latter agreed.

Read the whole story here: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/998113/sc-ends-oral-arguments-on-foreign-divorce-leonen-says-who-to-love-is-human-right/story/

12/08/2026

Lahat po tayo ay may pananagutan

01/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BpJnQZwqs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

𝑨 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔:

Warm greetings!

The people of Sibuyan Island in Romblon, Philippines, are currently facing serious threats to their ecosystems and communities from large-scale mining by Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC).

As one of their staunch allies in their decades of resistance against destructive mining, Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) hereby endorses their online petition for the immediate halt of APMC’s mining operations and the cancellation of the company’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) with the Philippine government.

We hope you can support this initiative and sign on to the petition. Our local partner communities are exhausting all means to put a stop to the devastation of their abundant island, known as the “Galapagos of Asia”.

Thank you.

In solidarity,

Jaybee Garganera
ATM National Coordinator

Sign the petition 👉: https://bit.ly/4yFekTk