Section 16Sec./Art. 16

Human Rights Commission. - There is hereby created a Regional Human Rights Commission. The chair and two commissioners of the commission shall be appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Regional Governor. The composition of the commission shall reflect the ethnic distribution of the population of the autonomous region. The chair shall be a lawyer and shall be a resident of the autonomous region. The two commissioners shall, preferably, be lawyers or, at least, holders of bachelor degrees from colleges or universities recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of the central government or national government.

The Regional Human Rights Commission shall perform within the autonomous region, the functions of the commission on human rights of the central government or national government. Decisions of the commission may be appealed to the Court of Appeals on questions of law.

Initially, the Regional Assembly shall fix the salaries, perquisites and privileges of the chair and the commissioners of the Commission at a level not lower than those fixed for the chair and members of the National Labor Commission. The Commission may provide additional functions to enhance and protect the human rights of all the people in the autonomous region. Thereafter, subject to availability of funds, the Regional Assembly may raise the salaries, perquisites, and privileges of the chair and commissioners.