FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
) 
SENATE 
c( 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The armed confrontation in the southern part of Mindanao, specifically in Regions X, XI1 
and ARMM, is a serious one. The armed struggle between the military and militant forces of the 
south raises questions on the security and protection of the people affected by this situation. 
Families are forced to flee their homes - their established sanctuary - due to the fear of being 
killed or stmnded in the crossfire. To safeguard the lives of their families, they braved the 
uncertainty outside their dwellings. But the situation in Mindanao is not the only picture of the 
occurring internal displacement in the country. Such event is happening nationally. 
Because of situations like armed aggression, general violence, violation of human rights 
andor natural or human-made disasters, people are forced to flee or obligated to flee their 
residences, their supposed havens. In a sense they are different from refugees as refugees cross 
internationally recognized state borders whereas these people relocate themselves within state 
borders. 
With the level of counter-insurgency operations being done in the country, one can 
expect a large number of families being displaced. Not only hundreds are displaced but 
thousands. As of December 2008, 37, 033 families were affected by the military operations in 
Regions X, XI1 and ARMM. And according to the March 17, 2009 report of the National 
Disaster Coordinating Council, at least 210,000 persons are internally displaced. 
These alarming numbers establish the intense situation of internal displacement in our 
country. With this in mind, this bill's purpose is to establish a support system for the internally 
displaced persons in the events of armed conflict or situations of aggression. The State, as such, 
must guarantee the protection of the rights and lives of the people and not compromise its role to 
the people. 
In view of the foregoing, the early approval of this measure is sought. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPTJBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 
) 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 3239 
,t 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT 
IMPROVING PHILIPPINE COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTION AND 
PROTECTION BY PROVIDING THE NECESSARY MECHANISMS FOR THE 
PREVENTION OF THE OCCURRENCE AND THE PROTECTION FROM ADVERSE 
EFFECTS OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -- This Act shall be known as the “Internal Displacement Act 
of 2009”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies. - Consistent with the principles 
enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, the standards set by international humanitarian law and 
human rights laws, international treaties and conventions adhered to by the Philippines, it is also 
hereby declared a State policy to promote and protect the rights of internally-displaced persons in 
situations of armed conflict, generalized violence, violations of human rights, land conversion 
and . any other land conflict, environmental destruction, aggressive implementation of 
development projects and other natural or human-made disasters. 
When an armed conflict of a non-international character is inevitable, the State shall ensure the 
promotion and protection of the rights of the citizens who are noncombatants, who shall enjoy, in 
full equality, the same rights and freedoms under international and domestic law as do other 
persons in their country. These citizens shall not be discriminated against in the enjoyment of 
any rights and freedoms on the ground that they are internally-displaced. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - The following terms, as defined accordingly, shall be 
used in this Act: 
(a) “Internal displacement” refers to 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, without crossing an internationally recognized State border as a result of or in order to 
avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights 
or other natural or human-made disasters. 
(b) “Arbitrary internal displacement” refers to acts of displacement or any other coercive 
act committed by my person or group of persons and directed against the civilian population, 
which are contrary to law, good morals, public order or public policy, or committed with abuse 
of authority, oppressive or wanton disregard of the right to life, liberty or property and abode of 
the residents of an area in which they we lawfully present, and characterized by those situations 
as defined in Section 5 of this Act. 
(c) “Internally-Displaced Person” hereinafter described as an IDP, refers to any 
individual who has suffered harm as a direct result of an arbitrary internal displacement as 
defined above. 
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(d) “Order of Battle” refers to a document made by the military, police or any law 
enforcement agency of the government, which lists the names of persons and organizations that 
it perceives to be enemies of the State and that it considers as legitimate targets as combatants 
that it could deal with, through the use of coercive means allowed by domestic and international 
law. 
(e) “Apartheid” refers to inhumane acts, including murder, extermination, enslavement, 
deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of 
physical liberty in violation of hdamental rules of international law, torture, rape, sexual 
slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization and other forms of sexual 
violence of comparable gravity, persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on 
political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender or other grounds that are universally 
recognized as impermissible under international law, enforced disappearance of persons and 
other similar acts intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body, or to mental or 
physical health, committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression 
and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with 
the intention of maintaining that regime. 
(f) “Ethnic cleansing” refers to the use of force or intimidation to remove people of a 
certain ethnic or religious group from an area to make it ethnically homogenous, and carried out 
by means of murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial executions, rape and 
sexual assault, confinement of the civilian population, deliberate military attacks or threats of 
attacks on civilians and civilian areas, wanton destruction of proper&l’imass murder, 
mistreatment of civilian prisoners and prisoners of war, use of civilians as human shields, 
destruction of cultural property, robbery of personal property and attacks on hospitals, medical 
personnel and locations with the red crosshed crescent emblem, and other similar criminal 
offenses. 
SEC. 4. Prevention of lnternal Displacement. - All authorities, groups and persons, 
irrespective of their legal status and applied without any adverse distinction, shall respect and 
ensure compliance with their obligations under international law, including human rights law and 
humanitarian law, so as to prevent and avoid conditions that might lead to internal displacement 
of persons. 
SEC. 5. Prohibition Against Arbitrary Internal Displacement. - The prohibited acts of 
arbitrary internal displacement shall include those committed 
(a) based on policies of apartheid, “ethnic cleansing” or similar practices aimed at or 
resulting in altering the ethnic, religious or racial composition of the affected population; 
(b) in situations of armed conflict, unless the security of the civilians is involved; 
(c) in cases of large-scale development projects, which are not justified by compelling 
(d) in cases of disasters, unless the safety and health of those affected required their 
(e) when used as a collective punishment; and 
( f )  violations of the rights of IDPs during displacement under Section 8 of this Act. 
An Order of Battle, issued by the military, police or any law enforcement agency of the 
government, shall not justify an arbitrary or internal displacement and shall subject the 
perpetrators to the penalties provided under Section 10 of this Act. 
and overriding public interest; 
evacuation; 
SEC. 6. Protection from Arbitrary Internal Dkplacement. - All authorities, including 
the local government units (LGUs) concerned, groups and persons, irrespective of their legal 
status and applied without any adverse distinction, shall protect its citizens against being 
arbitrarily displaced from their homes or places of habitual residence. 
Displacement shall not be carried out in a manner that violates the rights to life, dignity, 
liberty and security of those affected. Any displacement not included in Section 5 of this Act 
2 


shall not last longer than what is required by the circumstances as determined by the 
Commission on Human Rights (CHR). 
In addition, the following safeguards against arbitrary internal displacement shall be 
observed by all concerned authorities, groups and persons: 
(a) All feasible alternatives shall be explored in order to avoid displacement. Where no 
alternatives exist, all measures shall be undertaken to minimize displacement and its adverse 
effects on the population that will be affected; 
(b) If displacement is inevitable, the authorities shall ensure, to the greatest practicable 
extent, that proper accommodation is effected in satisfactory conditions of safety, nutrition, 
health and hygiene, and that members of the same family are not separated; 
(c) Indigenous peoples, minorities, peasants, pastoralists and other groups with special 
dependency on and attachment to their lands shall be protected from displacement; 
(d) In situations other than during the emergency stages of armed conflict and disaster, 
(1) A specific decision shall he taken by the authority empowered by law to order 
(2) Full disclosure of information on the reasons and procedures for the 
(3) Free and informed consent of those persons to be displaced shall be sought; 
(4) Authorities concerned shall endeavor to involve those affected, particularly 
(5) Law enforcement measures, when required, shall be carried out by competent 
(6) The right to an effective remedy, including the review of such decisions by 
the following guarantees shall be complied with 
such measures; 
displacement and, when applicable, also on compensation and relocation; 
women, in the planning and management of their relocation, resettlement and reintegration; 
legal authorities; and 
appropriate judicial authorities, shall be respected. 
SEC. 7. Permanent Prohibition Against Arbitrary Displacement. - The prohibition of 
arbitrary internal displacement and the fundamental safeguards for its prevention shall not be 
suspended under any circumstances, including political instability, threat of war, state of war or 
other public emergencies. 
SEC. 8. Righfs During Displacement. - The following rights shall be afforded IDPs 
during the period of their displacement, without discrimination of any kind, such as those based 
on race, color, sex, language, religion or belief, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or 
social origin, legal or social status, age, disability, property, birth or on any other similar criteria: 
(a) At the minimum, regardless of the circumstances, and without discrimination, 
competent authorities shall provide IDPs with and ensure safe access to: 
(1) essential and adequate food and nutrition and potable water; 
(2) basic shelter and housing; 
(3) appropriate clothing; and 
(4) essential medical and dental services and sanitation, including psychological and 
social services, and essential drugs and medicines; 
(b) Internally-displaced persons shall be protected against genocide, murder, summary or 
arbitrary executions and enforced disappearances, including abduction or unacknowledged 
detention, threatening or resulting in death. They shall be protected from arbitrq and 
discriminatory arrest and detention as a result of their displacement and, in no case, shall they be 
taken hostage. Threats and incitement to commit the foregoing acts shall be prohibited; 
(c) Attacks or other acts of violence against IDPs who do not or no longer participate in 
hostilities shall be prohibited in all circumstances. In particular, IDPs shall be protected against: 
(1) direct or indiscriminate attacks or other acts of violence, including the creation of 
areas wherein attacks on civilians are permitted; 
(2) starvation as a method of combat; 
3 


(3) their being used to shield the objectives of the military, police or any armed 
group from attack, or to shield, favor or impede the operations of the military, police or any 
armed group; 
(4) attacks against their camps, settlements or evacuation centers; and 
(5) the use of anti-personnel landmines; 
(d) Internally-displaced persons, whether or not their liberty has been restricted, shall be 
(1) rape, mutilation, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, 
upon personal dignity, such as acts of gender specific violence, forced 
(2) slavery or any contemporary form of slavery, such as sale into marriage, sexual 
(3) acts of violence intended to spread terror among IDPs. Threats and incitement to 
protected against: 
and other outrages 
prostitution and any form of indecent assault; 
exploitation or forced labor of children; and 
commit any of the foregoing acts shall be prohibited; 
(e) Internally-displaced persons shall not be interned in or confined to a camp. If in 
exceptional circumstances such internment or confinement is necessary, it shall not last longer 
than what is required by the circumstances, as may be determined by the CHR; 
(0 Internally-displaced persons shall he protected against discriminatory practices of 
recruitment into any armed forces or groups as a result of their displacement. In particular, any 
cruel, inhuman or degrading practices that compel compliance or punish noncompliance with 
recruitment shall be prohibited in all circumstances; 
(9) Every IDPs has the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose higher 
residence. In particular, he/she has the right to move freely in and out of camps or other 
settlements, subject to existing camp rules and regulations; 
(h) Internally-displaced persons, whether or not they are living in camps, shall not be 
(1) Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, opinion and expression; 
(2) To seek freely opportunities for employment and to participate in economic 
(3) To associate freely and participate equally in community affairs; 
(4) To vote and participate in governmental and public affairs, including the right to 
have access to the means necessary to exercise these rights; and 
(5) To communicate in a language they understand; 
discriminated against in the enjoyment of the following rights: 
activities; 
(i) Internally-displaced persons have the right to: 
(1) leave the country; 
(2) seek safety in another part of the country; 
(3) seek asylum in another country; and 
(4) be protected against forcible return to resettlement in any place where their lives, 
safety, liberty and/or health would be at risk; 
6) The authorities concerned shall issue to the IDPs all documents necessary for the 
enjoyment and exercise of their legal rights. In particular, the authorities shall facilitate the 
issuance of new documents or the replacement of documents lost in the course of displacement, 
without imposing unreasonable conditions and without discrimination against women and men, 
who shall have equal rights to obtain and to be issued the same in their own names; 
(k) The authorities concerned shall endeavor to establish the fate and whereabouts of 
IDPs reported missing and cooperate with relevant international organizations engaged in this 
task. They shall inform the next-of-kin on the progress of the investigation and notify them of 
any result; 
4 


(1) The authorities concerned shall endeavor to collect and identify the mortal remains of 
those deceased, prevent their despoliation or mutilation and facilitate the return of those remains 
to the next-of-kin or dispose of them respectfully; 
(m) Grave sites of IDPs shall he protected and respected in all circumstances and IDPs 
shall have the right of access to the grave sites of their deceased relatives; 
(n) Members of internally-displaced families who wish to remain together shall he 
allowed to do so. Families that are separated by displacement and whose personal liberty has 
been restricted by internment or confinement in camps should he reunited as quickly as possible 
and all appropriate measures shall be taken to expedite the reunion of such families, particularly 
when children are involved; 
(0) The State shall encourage the cooperation of international and local humanitarian 
organizations engaged in the task of family reunification; 
(p) Certain IDPs, such as children, especially unaccompanied minors, expectant mothers, 
mothers with young children, female heads of households, persons with disabilities and elderly 
persons, including the wounded and the sick, shall he entitled to protection and assistance 
required by their condition and to treatment which takes into account their special needs such as, 
but not limited to, their health needs, reproductive health care as well as appropriate counseling, 
prevention of contagious and infectious diseases, including AIDS, and access to psychological 
and social services. The right to privacy of married couples shall likewise be protected; 
(q) The property and possessions of IDPs shall, in all circumstances, be protected against 
the following acts: 
(1) Pillage; 
(2) Direct or indiscriminate attacks or other acts of violence; 
(3) Being used to shield military operations or objectives; 
(4) Being made the object of reprisal; 
(5) Being destroyed or appropriated as a form of collective punishment; and 
(6) Destruction and arbitrary and illegal appropriation, occupation or use; and 
(r) The authorities concerned shall ensure that IDPs, in particular displaced children, 
receive education that shall be free and compulsory at the primary level, Special efforts should 
be made to ensure the full and equal participation of women and girls in educational program, 
and that respect for their cultural identity, language and religion, educational and training 
facilities shall be made available to IDPs as soon as circumstances permit. 
The rights herein shall not be interpreted as restricting, modifying or impairing the 
provisions of any international human rights or international humanitarian law instrument or 
rights granted to persons under domestic law. 
SEC. 9. Assistance During Displacement, Return, Resettlement or Local Integration of 
the Displaced Persons. - The military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations, the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), the 
corresponding government hospital and the LGUs concerned shall provide immediate relief and 
humanitarian assistance to IDPs, families and communities. 
Humanitarian assistance shall not he diverted for any political or military reasons. All 
authorities concerned shall grant and facilitate the free passage of humanitarian assistance to the 
internally-displaced and ensure rapid, safe and unimpeded access of persons engaged in giving 
such assistance, their transport and supplies, to the displaced communities. 
All concerned authorities shall assist the IDPs in the recovery of their property and 
possessions, and shall provide or assist these persons in obtaining appropriate compensation or 
other forms of just reparation. 
5 


When providing assistance, international and local humanitarian organizations and other 
appropriate actors shall respect relevant international standards and codes of conduct and give 
due regard to the protection of the needs and human rights of the IDPs. Such organizations have 
the right to offer their services in support of the internally displaced and this shall be considered 
in good faith and not as an unfriendly act or interference in the government’s internal affairs. 
Consent thereto shall not be arbitrarily withheld, particularly when authorities concerned are 
unable or unwilling to provide the required humanitarian assistance. 
SEC.lO. Penalties. - 
(a) The penalty of reclusion temporal shall be imposed upon the following persons: 
(1) Those who directly commit the act of arbitrary internal displacement; 
(2) Those who directly force, instigate, encourage, induce or incite others to 
commit the act of arbitrary internal displacement; 
(3) Those who cooperate in the act of arbitrary internal displacement by committing 
another act, without which the act of arbitrary internal displacement would not have been carried 
out; 
(4) Those commanding officers, as well as all elements of the military, police 
and/or other law enforcement agencies, who actually and/or directly participate in the act of 
arbitrary internal displacement; 
(5) Those who cooperated in the execution of the act of arbitrary internal 
displacement by previous or simultaneous acts; and 
(6) Those commanding officers of the military, police or other law enforcement 
agencies or other authorities, for acts of arbitrary internal displacement committed by forces 
under hisher effective command and control, or effective authority and control as the case may 
be, as a result of hisher failure to exercise control properly over such forces, where said 
commanding officers or authorities knew or, owing to the circumstances at the time, should have 
known that the forces were committing or about to commit such crimes, and failed to take all 
necessary and reasonable means within hisker power to prevent or repress their commission, or 
to submit the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution. 
(b) The penalty ofprision mayor shall be imposed upon those who attempt to commit the 
offense of arbitrary internal displacement. 
(c) The penalty of prision mayor shall be imposed upon the persons who having 
knowledge of the act of arbitrary or internal displacement and without having participated 
therein either as principals or accomplices, took part subsequent to its commission in any of the 
following manner 
(1) By themselves profiting from or assisting the offender to profit from the effects 
of the act of arbitrary internal displacement; 
(2) By concealing the act of arbitrary internal displacement andor destroying the 
effects or instruments thereof, in order to prevent its discovery; and 
(3) By harboring, concealing or assisting in the escape of the principal@) in the act 
of arbitrary internal displacement, provided the accessory acts are done with the abuse of the 
official’s public functions. 
(d) The penalty of prision correccionul shall be imposed upon those who threaten to 
commit the act of arbitrary internal displacement. 
(e) A public official or employee found criminally liable of having committed the 
prohibited acts provided for in Sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of this Act shall also be held 
administratively liable. 
(9 The accessory penalties pertaining to the penalties of reclusion temporal and prision 
mayor shall be imposed. 
(g) The penalty of prision correccionul shall be imposed upon those who violate any of 
the rights as provided for in Section 8 of this Act. 
6 


SEC. 11. Liability of Concerned Law Enforcement Agency. - Where the operation 
conducted by the military, police and/or other law enforcement agencies causes damage to IDPs, 
the Concerned military, police and/or other law enforcement agency shall provide jointly and 
severally the necessary financial assistance for the return, resettlement or local integration of 
IDPs. 
SEC. 12. Jurisdiction of the Courts. - The proper and competent civilian courts shall 
have jurisdiction over the offense of arbitrary displacement as defined and penalized in this Act. 
SEC. 13. Compensation. - The law enforcement agencyhes conducting the operation that 
caused arbitrary internal displacement, the DSWD and the LGUs Concerned shall award the 
following: 
(a) Where death of an individual victim occurs in the course of an operation conducted by 
the military, police and/or other law enforcement agencies, the amount of Fifty thousand pesos 
(P50,OOO.OO) shall be granted to the legal heirs of the victim by way of a death benefit; 
(b) Where physical, emotional andor psychological injury is caused to an individual 
victim in the course of an operation conducted by the military, police and/or other law 
enforcement agencies, actual and compensatory damages, including moral, nominal, exemplary 
and temperate damages resulting from such injury, shall be reimbursed; 
(c) Where loss of or damage to property of an individual victim is caused in the course of 
an operation conducted by the military, police and/or other law enforcement agencies, the 
amount corresponding to the fair market value of the property lost or destroyed or the amount 
mutually agreed upon, whichever is higher, shall be paid to the victim; and 
(d) Non-state actors who caused arbitrary internal displacement shall be similarly held 
liable to pay the amount of Fifty thousand pesos (P50,OOO.OO) which shall be granted to the legal 
heirs of the victim by way of a death benefit, and shall also include damages to be paid to the 
victim or his heirs. 
The utilization of compensatiodaward by the agencies concerned shall be subject to audit 
by the Commission on Audit (COA). 
SEC. 14. Role of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). - The CHR shall be 
designated as the institutional focal point for IDPs. As such, the CHR shall have the following 
additional functions: 
(a) To monitor IDP conditions to ensure that their rights are respected and protected in all 
phases of displacement: 
(b) To conduct inquiries, document violations of human rights, assist IDPs in seeking 
redress of grievances and work to ensure an effective response by the concerned authorities; 
(c) To investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all forms of human rights 
violations against IDPs involving civil and political rights in accordance with Section 18(1) of 
Article XI11 of the 1987 Constitution; 
(d) To follow up on early warning and ensure effective measures to protect the civilian 
population against internal displacement; 
(e) To advise the government on the rights of IDPs towards the shaping of a sound 
national policy and legislation to effectively address situations of internal displacement; 
(f) To undertake educational activities and training programs for State authorities, 
including the armed forces; 
(g) To hold public information drives on the protection and rights of IDPs; and 
(h) To carry out such other acts that may be necessary to fully implement the purposes. 
SEC. 15. Appropriutions. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this 
Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the CHR, the DSWD, the 
Department of National Defense, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 
and the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for 
the continued implementation of this Act shall he included in the General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 16. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. - A Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee is hereby created, composed of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and 
7 


Human Rights and seven (7) other Senators designated by the Senate President, and the 
Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights and seven (7) other Members of the 
House of Representatives, designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Provided, 
That, of the seven (7) Members to be designated by each House of Congress, four (4) should 
represent the Majority and three (3) from the Minority. 
The Joint Congressional Oversight Committee shall have the power to review, revise, 
mend and approve the implementing rules and regulations promulgated by the CHR. 
The Joint Congressional Oversight Committee shall also have the power to inquire into, 
summon and investigate the Orders of Battle that are created pursuant to this Act, as well as the 
legal and factual justifications for the inclusion of specific persons and groups in the said Orders 
of Battle. In this regard, the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee may issue mandatory 
process directing the transmission of all such documents relevant and necessary for the 
Committee to determine the validity of the inclusion of specific persons or groups in the Orders 
of Battle. For this purpose, the highest ranking officers or heads of offices shall be charged with 
testifying before the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee in relation to any inquiries on the 
Orders of Battle. 
The defense of national security may not prevent the Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee from inquiring into the factual and/or legal bases for the creation of a specific Order 
of Battle or the inclusion of specific persons or groups in the said Orders of Battle. Should there 
be a need to inquire into the factual basis for the invocation of national security, the Committee 
shall adjourn the public hearing, convene in executive session and hear the factual basis for such 
invocation. Should the Committee be satisfied of the factual basis, the Committee will reflect this 
finding on the record. Should the basis not be satisfactory to the Committee, the public hearing 
will continue and the invocation may not be used as justification to prevent an inquiry into the 
factual or legal basis for the creation of the Order of Battle or the inclusion of specific names of 
persons or groups. 
' SEC. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The CHR shall issue the necessary 
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days from its 
effectivity. The implementing rules and regulations shall be submitted to the Joint Congressional 
Oversight Committee created by virtue of this Act for prior approval. 
In the formulation of the rules and regulations, the Commission shall coordinate with the 
DSWD, the Department of National Defense, the DILG, the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources, the DOH and shall likewise consult with the LGUs and human rights 
nongovernmental organizations and people's organizations. 
SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, memorandum orders, 
memorandum circulars, administrative orders, ordinances or any part thereof which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 19. SeparabiI& Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 20. EJJectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its publication in 
at least two (2) newspapers of national circulation. 
Approved, 
8