MANILA, Aug. 27 (PNA) — The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Bill protecting the rights and welfare of persons displaced by natural calamities and armed conflicts has been approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives as it now awaits the Senate version for consolidation.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez said the approval of the proposed measure was “a positive step in the right direction” towards the institution of legal safeguards for the rights and welfare of the victims of internal displacement.
Gutierrez, who is the principal author of the bill and Chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) that consolidated the IDP bills, lauded the swift action of the Lower House in approving the bill, which he said is “critical step forward” for the proposed legislation towards becoming a law.
“The approval of the measure is a strong reaffirmation of the commitment of both the House and the government to ensure that each person who became victims of internal displacements due to natural calamities and armed conflicts are fully protected,” the solon said.
“For too long, the victims of arbitrary internal displacements are left to fend for themselves, with inadequate government support, due to lack of legal support on how the state should handle their plights. And because they (the victims) need to survive, they become increasingly vulnerable to ill-treatments and exploitation of unscrupulous people who generate profits from their helplessness,” he added.
House Bill 4744, which is a landmark human rights legislation, seeks to develop a comprehensive government plan that would respond to the increasing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, in the light of recurring natural disasters like typhoons and armed conflicts.
The proposed legislation reaffirms the basic rights of the IDPs and sets out the mandates and roles of the state towards to the protection and promotion of these rights, in order to expedite the recovery and normalization of the lives of the victims.
“Through this bill, these individuals, also known as IDPs, are provided adequate protection and care by the government, assured of their human rights and dignity and protected from all form of abuses and exploitation to will help fast-track their recovery,” Gutierrez explained.
“This landmark bill will also serve to support the efforts of the government to effectively promote human rights and human rights-related reforms, particularly during disasters,” he added.
Gutierrez urged the Senate to swiftly and immediately pass its own version of the bill to ensure that this proposed law will eventually become a “reality”.
“We look forward to gaining the support of the members of the Senate on this important legislation that will ensure the quick approval of the Senate version of the bill,” Gutierrez pointed out.
The former human rights lawyer turned politician said that Sen. Koko Pimentel, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, had signified in earlier dialogues his interest to file the same version of the bill passed by the House.
“Through this collective effort, we look forward to the bill eventually turning into a law that will duly serve the needs of the people in times of internal displacements,” Gutierrez concluded. (PNA)