The Commission on Human Rights in Negros Oriental was directed to investigate alleged human rights violations against a Canadian national whose accusations about Dumaguete went viral in the social media.

CHR field investigator Jess Cañete has confirmed that the directive came from the CHR central office where Canadian national Mark Cohen directed his complaint.

Cañete said Cohen wanted the immediate withdrawal of a resolution approved by the city council declaring him persona non-grata due to statements he posted on the social media that are detrimental to the city government.

Cohen, who claimed to be a person with disability, with his dog, was refused entry in an establishment in Dumaguete as an existing policy.

Cañete said Cohen did not file any complaint before his office, and he was surprised when the CHR central office called his attention to the matter.

In fact, Cañete said, he was once criticized for wrongly parking his vehicle when he rushed to Lee Super Plaza, upon receiving reports that a foreign national was having an altercation with the guards.

He said his office cannot ask the city council to withdraw the resolution declaring as persona non-grata Cohen, who is facing deportation proceedings by the Bureau of Immigration.

At Wednesday’s regular session, the first matter the body taken up was the information that Cohen had asked the International Institute for Assistance Dog Training, for recommendation and support, to petition the Bureau of Immigration to reconsider the order of deportation, and for the city council to reconsider its declaration of him as persona non-grata.

Cohen, assisted by counsel Joel Obar, had asked the city council for reconsideration of the resolution, but the council affirmed and stood firm on its decision to declare Cohen as persona non grata.

On Friday, Cañete invited Cohen to appear before his office through a text message and through electronic mail.

He said the CHR cannot declare that the city council violated his rights, and he is securing documents to determine if there was a violation in the process.*JG

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