NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 1586
'Wr-'i;(©ffttp of tijc !^":rrptrirj)
*22 DEC-5 PI :29
RCCEIVtD 5'7:
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A PROPORTIONATE SCHOOL ADMISSION AND 
ACCEPTANCE SHARE IN THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE 
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND
FOR SUCH OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 2, Section 22 of the 1987 Constitution provides that: "The State 
recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the 
framework of national unity and development."
It is the expressed policy of the state to promote the rights of the Indigenous 
Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) in formulating policies for the 
development of the nation. Due to peculiarities inherent in their culture, circumstances 
arise where their members automatically become excluded in policies and programs 
for national unity and development. Included in these policies are the recruitment 
programs for the Philippine Military Academy and Philippine National Police Academy, 
the primary security academic institutions of the country. The members of the ICCs/IPs 
are overlooked and sometimes discriminated upon, and not given the chance to serve, 
protect and defend the country simply because of their culture. Instead, culture must 
be celebrated, brought into the light and integrated into society for it is something that 
brings honor and pride to the country.
Section 1, Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution provides that the Congress shall 
give highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right 
of all the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, 
and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the 
common good.
To give effect to this Constitutional mandate, this bill aims to accommodate 
ICC/IP members by providing a proportionate recruitment share specially allocated for 
them in the Philippine Military Academy and the Philippine National Police Academy in 
view of the peculiarities brought about by their beautiful culture.


Considering the foregoing, the immediate enactment of this bill is respectfully 
requested.
NCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22 
23
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENA.
S. No. 
6
v^^(©ffitr of I'jc .'S'f'.Tfnrti
*22 DEC -5 PI :29
RtCEIVtD 8V.
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A PROPORTIONATE SCHOOL ADMISSION AND 
ACCEPTANCE SHARE IN THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY AND THE 
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND
FOR SUCH OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Katutubong 
Tagapagtanggol Act of 2022."
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State:
a. 
To recognize and promote the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights 
of indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples in accordance with the 
Constitution and applicable norms and principles;
b. 
To recognize the distinct characteristics and identify of the indigenous cultural 
communities or indigenous people which the State must take special measures to 
ensure that they are afforded rights, protections and privileges with regard to 
recruitment and employment; and
c. 
To involve the indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples in the 
national defense and national law enforcement as part of national unity amidst 
diversity.
Section 3. Definition of Terms.
shall mean:
For purposes of this Act, the following terms
a. Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peopies (ICCs/IPs) - shall refer 
to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and 
ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community on 
communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership 
since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing 
common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, 
or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization.


1 
non-indigenous religions and cultures, became historically differentiated from the
2 
majority of Filipinos. ICCs/IPs shall, likewise include people who are regarded as
3 
indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the
4 
country, at the time of conquest or colonization or at the time of inroads of non-
5 
indigenous religions and cultures or the establishment of present state boundaries
6 
who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions,
7 
but who may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may have
8 
resettled outside their ancestral domains.
9 
Section 4. Recruitment of ICCs/IPs in Law Enforcement and National
10 
Defense. - The Philippine National Police Academy and the Philippine Military
11 
Academy are hereby mandated to admit and enlist members of ICCs/IPs into their
12 
academic program. At least ten percent (10%) of the new cadets shall belong to
13 
ICCs/IPs.
14 
Section 5. Rights of Enlisted Members of ICCs/IPs. - Members of
15 
ICCs/IPs admitted in the academic program shall ot be discriminated by reason of
16 
their physical, social, cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs.
17 
Section 6. Penalties. - Any reason, public official or employee who
18 
discriminates in any manner members of the ICCs/IPs, by reason of their membership
19 
in the ICCs/IPs, shall immediately be subjected to the proper disciplinary action or
20 
proceedings of the service.
21 
Willful failure, refusal or negligence by the disciplining authority in the initiation,
22 
investigation and disposal of disciplinary proceedings due to violations of this Act shall
23 
be a cause for dismissal from the service of the disciplining authority.
24 
Any sanction for violations provided under this Act shall be without prejudice
25 
to the criminal penalties and sanctions provided under the Republic Act No. 8371 or
26 
otherwise known as The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997.
27 
Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of
28 
National Defense and the Department of the Interior and Local Government shall
29 
collaborate and issue within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act the
30 
Implementing Rules and Regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
31 
The implementing rules and regulations shall provide accommodations for
32 
members of the ICCs/IPs regarding their admission and shall avoid qualifications and
33 
disqualifications that discriminates them due to their diverse qualities.
34 
Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held
35 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in
36 
full force and effect.
37 
Section 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
38 
proclamations and other executive issuances which are inconsistent with or contrary
39 
to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed accordingly.


1 
Section 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
2 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national
3 
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,