Memorandum for the Petitioners [ 125
8.153. Notably, under Section 2, Article II of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution, the Philippines adopts the generally accepted principles of
international law as part of the law of the land.585 This should guide the
Honorable Commission in its investigation.
8.154. In any event, with due respect, petitioners submit that the
Honorable Commission should take a purposive and holistic approach to
applying human rights standards in its investigation 586 To assess the
respondent Carbon Majors’ responsibility, fundamental principles of legal
and moral responsibility must both be considered . These include the
respondents’ knowledge or notice of potential harms, whether the harms were
reasonably foreseeable, the opportunity to avoid or reduce those harms, and
whether the harms were caused by their actions all clearly set out in Part V
(D) hereof (Material Facts as Established by Evidence).587
,
—
r
r
8.155. Based on the pieces of evidence and analyses presented by the
petitioners, the expert witnesses, and the amici, there is consensus that
respondent Carbon Majors have substantial responsibilities to ensure
their products and operations do not contribute to human rights impacts,
impairments, infringements, abuses, and /or violations arising from
climate change, as well as to provide remedy and redress where such
violations occur.
8.156. Based on the information available to the petitioners, the
respondents have failed to fulfill these duties. The respondent Carbon Majors
past and current business models and activities contributed to climate-related
human rights violations in the Philippines and beyond. The severity of these
human rights impacts, impairments, infringements, abuses, and /or violations
will continue to grow unless the respondents implement measures consistent
with the UNGPs and other applicable norms.588
Carbon Majors
respondent
The
responsibility should be assessed on a
corporate group basis
8.157. The Interpretive Guide to the Guiding Principles (hereinafter ,
Interpretive Guide”) confirms that an enterprise can contribute to an adverse
See https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/!987-constitution/#article-ii (last accessed on 12
September 2019).
586
Id., p. 18.
587
Id., p. 60. This summary was compiled with inputs by the Center for International Environmental Law
(CIEL), Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions & the Global Alliance of National
Human Rights Institutions (APF & GANHRI), ClientEarth, and Plan B . This is based on their previously
submitted amicus curiae briefs as well as relevant updates.
585
588
Ibid.
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