25 is a constitutional body, can be enlarged to include social and economic rights. It can include the concepts proposed by Commissioner Rosario Braid in looking into the causes of the violations of human rights, both in their narrow and broad senses. Therefore, it has a place in the Constitution because the horizon for its functions is well beyond the immediate problems. MR. MAAMBONG: xxx MR. MONSOD: Yes, and it can expand its scope as the need and circumstances arise because human rights is a very broad concept. The only reason we are limiting this concept now and trying for very modest objectives at this time is because we do not like the committee to dilute its efforts at this time when there are very real and concrete problems that have to be addressed.”94 (Emphasis supplied) 2.52. The eminent constitutionalist, Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, one of the delegates in the 1986 Constitutional Commission, affirms the foregoing intention of the framers of the Constitution. Thus, in his book, The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: A Commentary, Fr. Bernas wrote— “The scope of its investigation is ‘all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights,’ whether committed by public officers or by civilians or rebels. Every effort was made to ensure that the phraseology of the provision did not suggest that only military violations were within the scope of the Commission’s authority. Simon, Jr. v. Human Rights Commission has held, moreover, on the basis of Constitutional Commission debates and Section 18(1) that the Commission can only protect ‘civil and political rights’ as distinct from less traditional social and economic rights. Note, however, that the reason for these modest objectives was the desire of the 1986 Constitutional Commission not to overburden the Commission during its initial years. The limitation does not exclude the possibility of expanding the Commission’s scope later – as in fact Section 19 specifically allows.”95 (Citations omitted; Emphasis supplied) 2.53. Likewise, Fr. Bernas categorically pointed out that, “the authority [of the Honorable Commission] to set its ‘operational guidelines’ was adopted in lieu of authority to ‘set its own priorities’ in order to avoid the suspicion that the Commission might narrow the 94 Deliberations of the Constitutional Commission on the investigatory powers of the Commission on Human Rights, p. 743, op cit., pp. 94-95. 95 Bernas, J.G. (2003). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: A Commentary, 2003 ed.; Manila: Rex Book Store, p. 1225.