PIMENTEL ELECTED TO IPU HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) was elected May 2 at the 116th IPU assembly in Bali, Indonesia as a member of the Inter Parliamentary Union Human Rights Committee based in Geneva.

He was endorsed by the IPU ASEAN+3 and the ASIA PACIFIC delegates.

Pimentel who is the current Senate Minority Leader was initially proposed for the position by Senate President Protempore Juan Flavier and Sen. Frank Drilon at the ASEA+3 meeting.

The Cambodian and the Korean delegations seconded Pimentels nomination.

In seconding Pimentels nomination, the head of the Korean delegation stressed Pimentels consistent human rights advocacies in the Philippines.

At the Asia Pacific meeting, Pimentel was backed up mainly by the Chinese and by the Canadian, Australian and Palau delegations.

The seat was contested by the Philippines and Iran. In the end, Iran gave way to the Philippines.

Pimentel thanked Director Carmen Arceo, chairman of the Senate International Committee who he said did the yeoman work to get the IPU Human Rights Committee seat in Geneva for the country.