The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (INQUIRER.net file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — A bill that will protect the rights of internally displaced persons (IDP) has been approved by the House of Representatives on second reading.
House Bill (HB) No. 8629 was approved during Tuesday’s plenary session via viva voce or voice voting.
The said proposal defines internal displacement as “the involuntary movement or forced evacuation or expulsion of any person or group of persons who flee or leave their homes or places of habitual residence, within the national borders” so that they could avoid “armed conflict, situations of generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, implementation of development projects, natural, human-induced and human-made hazards”.
If the bill is signed into law, the government would be mandated to protect the rights of IDPs or individuals who are displaced either due to natural calamities or man-made disasters, by ensuring that their basic needs are met.
HB No. 8629 lists the following items as the responsibility of the government in terms of caring for IDPs:
- provision and access to basic necessities
- protection against criminal offenses
- freedom of movement
- recognition, issuance, and replacement of documents
- family unity and information about missing persons
- health and education
- property and possessions
- right to participation
Makabayan bloc member and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said during the period of debates for the bill that while they support the proposal, they are wary that the issue of displacement due to militarization is not tackled under the bill.
Castro was referring to claims by Lumad refugees at a church in Davao City who escaped their ancestral land due to fears of militarization.
“Generally we support the bill on the IDP, ito nga ‘yong sinasabi ni Congressman (Zia Alonto) Adiong ‘no, ‘yong mga bakwit. And this representation Mr. Speaker many times we supported the bakwits, victims nga ng iba’t ibang dahilan like calamities and human-induced activities,” she said.
(Generally we support the bill on the IDP, as what Congressman Adiong said, it’s for the evacuees. And this representation Mr. Speaker many times we supported the evacuees, the victims of different calamities and human-induced activities.)
“Kasi isa rin po Mr. Speaker na situation, pwede rin kasi sabihin na merong mga encounter kahit wala namang encounter, nale-legitimate ‘yong mga displacement no’ng ating mga kababayan. Ito lagi ‘yong line na ginagamit ng AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), mga state agencies at saka ng NTF-Elcac (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict),” she added.