Balay joins Denmark’s Constitution Day celebration; cites Danish support for human rights in the Philippines

Balay Executive Director Josephine Lascano conveyed her solidarity with the Danish people who commemorated the 63rd year since Denmark was established as Constitutional Monarchy. She also congratulated the Government of Denmark led by Queen Margrethe II and Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on the occasion of their Constitution Day in a dinner organized by the Danish Embassy in Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros on June 6, 2016.

The event also celebrated the day when the right to vote of Danish women was recognized by the government in 1915.

Lascano noted that the government of Denmark is one of the leading countries in Europe that advocates for the universal respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights. It is particularly a champion of the right not to be tortured as provided by the Convention against Torture.

She expressed appreciation for the Danish support for the torture prevention and rehabilitation advocacy in the Philippines through the Danish Institute against Torture (DIGNITY). Balay is a partner of DIGNITY, an outstanding non-governmental organization that specializes in research and torture rehabilitation in Denmark. It lends support to Balay and the United against Torture Coalition for their campaign for the enactment of the Anti-Torture Act and the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture in the Philippines.

Denmark and the Philippines have cultivated diplomatic and friendly relations since 1946. The Danish Embassy temporarily closed down in 2002 and reopened in 2015.