Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, PROVIDING 
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEROF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The fact of on-going armed conflicts in our nation has marred not only the peace and order 
in our nation but as well as the security of people to a peaceful abode including their 
enjoyment of rights and freedom. The current armed conflict in certain parts of the country 
between rebel and government armed forces have displaced thousands of families from 
their homes due to forced evacuation or in their flight to safer grounds. As such, it is a 
pressing concern that their rights and freedom are protected and ensured under our laws 
as well as international laws. In particular, the non-combatants should be ensured of their 
rights such that the presence of armed conflicts should not be a cause for discrimination in 
the equal enjoyment of rights and freedom. 
Thus, this house bill is filed in our adherence and commitment to the principles of the 1987 
Constitution including the standards set by international humanitarian law and human rights 
law. Our commitment includes the nation’s policy in protecting internally displaced families 
who are in situations of armed conflicts, generalized violence, tribal/clan wars, violations of 
human rights, aggressive implementation of development projects, as well as displacement 
of affected families due to natural and man-made disasters.  
This measure seeks to provide protection of rights of internally displaced person during and 
after displacement as well as their resettlement, relocation and reintegration. It also covers 
arbitrary displacement of civilians as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed 
conflicts, generalized violence, violations of human rights, aggressive implementation of 
development projects as well as natural and man-made disasters in relation to RA 10121 or 
the Philippines’ Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.  
Further, the measure provides for the prohibited acts of arbitrary internal displacement, the 
protection of the individuals from arbitrary internal displacement except in situations 
inevitable but should be complaint with the guarantees provided therein such as full 
disclosure on the reasons and procedures of displacement. To complete the measure in 
protecting the rights of the internally displaced persons, it provides for their rights during and 
after displacement. This is pursuant to the provisions of the Bill of Rights that they shall not 
September 8, 2022
10:25 am
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be subjected to any kind of discrimination especially in cases of armed conflicts purportedly 
anchored on political and religious beliefs.  
To fully satisfy the rights of the internally displaced persons, they are afforded the rights to 
provision and access to basic necessities, protection against criminal offenses and unlawful 
acts and most importantly, the freedom of movement. 
Lastly, the measure provides for mechanism for international humanitarian assistance 
including their local counterparts by assuring them the right to offer their services without 
considering their action as interference in local affairs. However, their action shall still be 
subject to our laws particularly in importation and donations of food, clothing, medicine and 
equipment. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of 
the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, PROVIDING 
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEROF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This act shall be known as the “Rights of Internally Displaced 
Persons Act of 2022.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies. – Consistent with the principles 
enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, the standard 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 situation of armed conflict, generalized violence, tribal/clan wars, 
violations of human rights, aggressive implementation of development projects, natural and 
man-made disasters. 
When armed conflicts of a non-international character is inevitable, the State shall ensure 
the promotion and protection of the rights of the citizens who are non-combatants and who 
shall enjoy in full equality, the same rights and freedom under international and domestic 
law as do other persons in the country. These citizens shall not be discriminated against in 
the enjoyment of any rights and freedoms on the ground that they are internally displaced.  
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – The following terms, as a 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 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 effect of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence,
violations of human rights, land conversion and any other land conflicts, aggressive
implementation of development projects, natural and man-made disasters.
(b) Arbitrary internal displacement refers to acts of displacement or any other
coercive act committed by any person or group/s of person 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
4579


are lawfully present and characterized by those situations as defined in Section 6 of 
this Act.  
(c) Internally displaced person, hereinafter described as an IDP, refers to any 
individuals who has suffered harm as a direct result of internal displacement, whether 
arbitrary or not, as defined herein. 
(d) Order of Battle/Watchlist refers to any document or determination made by the 
military, police or any law enforcement agency of the government, listing 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 means allowed by domestic and international law.  
(e) Apartheid refers to inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalizing 
regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group or groups and 
committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.  
(f) Ethnic cleansing refers to the act of rendering an area ethnically homogenous by 
using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or 
religious group.  
(g) Tribal/Clan War refers to any conflict that may arise between members of different 
tribal groups, indigenous groups or clans, or between and among members of the 
same tribe, indigenous group or clan.  
 
SECTION 4. Scope. – This Act shall primarily provide for the protection of rights of IDPs 
during and after displacement, as well as their resettlement, relocation and reintegration. 
This Act shall likewise cover arbitrary internal displacement of civilians as a result of or in 
order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situation of generalized violence, violations of 
human rights, aggressive implementation of development projects, natural and man-made 
disasters. In case of natural disasters, due reference shall be made to the pertinent 
provisions of Republic Act 10121, otherwise known as the Philippine Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Act of 2010, regarding the early warning measures and durable 
solutions in relation to internal displacement as a result of natural disasters.  
 
 
SECTION 5. Prevention of Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – State authorities, including 
local government units (LGUs) and parties to an armed conflict, 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 arbitrary internal displacement 
of persons. 
 
 
SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts of Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – The prohibited acts 
of arbitrary internal displacement shall include, but are not limited to, 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 situation of armed conflict, unless the security of civilians is involved;  
(c) in cases of large-scale development projects, including land conversion and any 
other conflict which are not justified by compelling and overriding public interest;  
(d) in cases of natural and man-made disasters, unless the safety and health of those 
affected require their evacuation;  
(e) when used as a form of collective punishment;   


(f) in cases of tribal/clan wars, unless the security of those civilians not involved in 
the conflicts is endangered; and  
(g) in violation of the rights of IDPs during displacement under Section 9 of this Act.  
 
An Order of Battle/Watchlist issued by the military or any law enforcement agency of 
the government shall not justify arbitrary displacement and shall subject the perpetrators to 
the penalties provided under Section 13 of this Act.  
 
SECTION 7. Protection from Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – All authorities, including 
the 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, liberty, 
dignity and security of those affected.  
 
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 affected in satisfactory 
conditions of safety, nutrition, water and sanitation, health and hygiene, and that 
members of the same family, especially women and children, 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 
arbitrary internal displacement, in accordance with Republic Act No. 8371, 
otherwise known as the Indigenous People’s Right Act of 1997; and  
 
(d) In situations other than during the emergency stages of armed conflicts and 
disasters, the following guarantees shall be complied with:  
(1) a specific decision shall be taken by the authority empowered by law to 
order such measures:  
(2) full disclosure of information on the reasons and procedures for the 
displacement and when applicable, also on compensation and relocation;  
(3) free and informed consent of those persons to be displaced shall be 
sought;  
(4) authorities concerned shall endeavor to involve those affected, particularly 
women, in the planning and management of their relocation, resettlement 
and reintegration:  
(5) law enforcement measures, when required, shall be carried out by 
competent legal authorities; and  
(6) the right to an effective remedy, including the review of such decisions by 
appropriate judicial authorities, shall be respected. 
 
SECTION 8. Permanent Prohibition Against Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – The 
prohibition on arbitrary internal displacement and the fundamental safeguards for its 
prevention shall not be suspended under any circumstances, including political instability, 
threat of war state or other public emergencies.  


 
SECTION 9. Rights During and After Displacement. – Pursuant to the provisions of the 
Bill of Rights under Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the following rights shall 
be afforded to IDPs during and after 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) Provision and Access to Basic Necessities – 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 medicine; 
 
(b) Protection Against Criminal Offenses and Other Unlawful Act. -  
(1) It shall be prohibited to commit any of the following acts of the following acts 
against IDPs in all circumstances:  
(i)   Murder; 
(ii)  Hostage –taking; 
(iii) Summary or arbitrary execution and enforced disappearance, including 
abduction or acknowledged detention, threatening or resulting in death; 
and  
(iv) Unlawful confinement;  
(2) Attacks or other acts of violence against IDPs who do not or no longer 
participate in hostilities shall be prohibited in all circumstances, without 
prejudice to being held liable for any offense committed by them. In particular, 
IDPs shall be protected against:  
(i) direct or indiscriminate attacks or other acts of violence, including the 
creation of areas wherein attacks on civilians are permitted;  
(ii) starvation as a method of combat; 
(iii) their being used to shield military objectives from attack, or to shield, favor 
or impede the operations of the military, police or any armed group; 
(iv) attack against any evacuation center, facility, encampment or other 
settlement; and  
(v) use of anti-personnel landmines; 
(3) IDPs, whether or not their liberty has been restricted, shall be protected in 
particular against:  
(i) rape, mutilation, torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or 
punishment and other outrages upon personal dignity such as acts of 
gender-specific violence, forced prostitution and any form of indecent 
assault; 
(ii) slavery or any contemporary form of slavery, such as sale into marriage, 
sexual exploitation or forced labor of children; and  
(iii) acts of violence intended to spread terror among IDPs. 
 
Threats and incitement to commit any of the forgoing acts under paragraph 
(b), subsections 1 and 3 herein shall prohibited;  


(4) IDPs shall not be interned in or confined in any evacuation center, facility, 
encampment or other settlement. 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 Commission on 
Human Rights (CHR); and  
(5) IDPs shall be protected against discriminatory practices of recruitment into the 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), law enforcement agencies or any 
armed group as a result of their displacement. In particular, any cruel, 
inhumane or degrading practice that compel compliance or punish 
noncompliance with recruitment shall be prohibited in all circumstances;  
(c) Freedom of Movement - (1) Every IDP has the right to liberty of movement and 
freedom to choose a residence. In particular, the IDP has the right to move freely 
in and out of any evacuation center, encampment or other settlement, subject to 
its existing rules and regulations;  
(2) IDPs, whether or not they living in an evacuation center, encampment or other 
settlement, shall not be discriminated against in the enjoyment of the following 
rights: 
(i) to enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, opinion and 
expression;  
(ii) to seek freely opportunities for employment and to participate in economic 
activities   
(iii) to associate freely and participate equally in community affairs;  
(iv) to vote and participate in governmental and public affairs, including the 
right to have access to the means necessary to exercise these rights; and  
(v) to communicate in a language, they understand;  
(3) IDPs have the right to: 
(i) seek safety in another part of the country; 
(ii) leave the country;  
(iii) seek asylum in another country; and  
(iv) be protected against forcible return to resettlement in any place where 
their lives, safety, liberty, and/ or health would be risk;  
(d) Recognition, Issuance and Replacement of Document - The authorities 
concerned shall issue to the IDPs all document necessary for the enjoyment and 
exercise of their legal rights. In particular, these 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 men and women, who shall have equal rights to obtain and 
to be issued the same in their own name;  
(e) Family Unity and Missing Persons - (1) Members of internally displaced families 
who wish to remain together shall be allowed to do so. Families that are separated 
by displacement and whose personal liberty have been restricted by internment 
or confinement in any evacuation center, facility, encampment or other 
settlements should be reunited immediately, with appropriate measures taken to 
expedite the reunion, particularly when children are involved;  
(2) The State shall encourage cooperation among international and local 
humanitarian organizations engaged in the task of family reunification;  
(3) 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 results. 


(4) The authorities concerned shall endeavor to collect and identify the mortal 
remains to the next-of-kin or dispose of them respectfully; and  
(5) Grave sites of IDPs shall be protected and respected in all circumstances and 
shall have the right of access to the grave sites of their deceased relatives;  
(f) Health and Education – (1) Certain IDPs, such as children, especially 
unaccompanied, minors, expectant mothers, mothers with young children, female 
heads of households, persons with disabilities and elderly persons, shall be 
entitled to protection and assistance required by their condition and to treatment 
which takes into account their special needs; 
(2) All wounded and sick IDPs, as well as those with disabilities, shall receive to 
the fullest extent practicable and with the least possible delay the medical care 
and attention they require, without distinction on any ground other than the 
medical ones. When necessary, IDPs shall have access to psychological and 
social services;  
(3) Special attention shall be paid to the health needs of women, including access 
to female health care, providers and services, as well as appropriate counseling 
for victims of sexual and other abuses;  
(4)  Special attention shall also be given to the prevention of contagious and 
infectious diseases, including AIDS, among IDPs; and  
(5) 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 shall be made to ensure the full and equal participation of women 
and girls in educational programs, and that respect for their cultural identity, 
language and religion, educational and training facilities shall be made available 
to them as soon as circumstances permits; and  
(g) Property and Possessions – The property and possessions of IDPs shall, in all 
circumstances, be protected against the following acts: 
(1) pillage;  
(2) direct and indiscriminate attacks or other acts of violence;  
(3) being used to shield military operations or objective;  
(4) being made the objects of reprisal; 
(5) being destroyed or appropriated as a form of collective punishment; and  
(6) destruction, arbitrary and illegal appropriation, occupation or use. The rights 
and obligations herein shall not be interpreted as restricting, modifying or 
impairing the provisions of an international human rights or international 
humanitarian law or rights granted to persons under domestic law.  
 
SECTION 10. Assistance during Displacement of IDPs. – The primary duty and 
responsibility for providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs lie with national authorities, in 
close collaboration with the LGUs exercising territorial jurisdiction over the affected area/s. 
As such, the military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations, the Department 
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), the local 
government hospitals, the LGUs concerned and other appropriate government agencies 
shall provide immediate relief and humanitarian assistance to IDPs, families and 
communities. 
 
Humanitarian assistance to IDPs shall not be diverted for any political or military reasons. 
All authorities concerned shall grant and facilities the free passage of humanitarian 
assistance to the internally displace and ensure rapid, safe and unimpeded access of 


persons engaged in giving such assistance, their transport and supplies to the displaced 
communities. They shall not be the objects of attacks or other acts of violence. 
 
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. 
 
SECTION 11. Return, Resettlement and Reintegration. – Competent authorities, such as 
the military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations, the DSWD, the DOH, the 
local government hospitals, the LGUs concerned and other appropriate government 
agencies shall have the primary duty and responsibility to establish conditions and provide 
means for IDPs to return voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, to their homes or places of 
habitual residence, or to resettle voluntarily. 
 
 
Said authorities shall likewise ensure the full participation of IDPs in the planning and 
management of their return, resettlement and reintegration. 
 
 
SECTION 12. Mechanism for International Humanitarian Assistance. – International 
humanitarian organizations, their local counterparts and other appropriate actors shall have 
the right to offer their services in support of the internally displaced. These acts shall be 
considered in good faith and not as unfriendly acts or interference in the internal affairs of 
the government. Consent thereto shall not be arbitrarily withheld, particularly when 
authorities concerned are unable or unwilling to provide the required humanitarian 
assistance.  
 
When providing assistance to IDPs, said organizations shall respect relevant domestic laws, 
international standards and codes of conduct. They shall give due regard to the protection 
of the needs and human rights of the IDPs. 
 
The important and donation of food, clothing, medicine and equipment necessary for relief 
and assistance of IDPs are hereby authorized in accordance with Section 105 of the Tariff 
and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended, and the prevailing provisions of the 
General Appropriations Act (GAA) as regards national internal revenue taxes and import 
duties of national and local government agencies. 
 
SECTION 13. Penalties. – (a) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its minimum to medium 
period 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 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 their effective command and control or effective 


authority and control as the case may be, as result of their failure to exercise 
proper control over such forces, where the 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 their power to prevent or repress 
their commission, or to submit the matter to competent authorities for 
investigation and prosecution. 
(b) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon those 
who attempt to commit the offense of arbitrary internal displacement. 
(c) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon persons 
who, having knowledge of the act of arbitrary internal displacement and without 
having participated therein, either as principals or accomplices, took part 
subsequent to its commission by any of the following acts:  
(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 and/or destroying the 
effects or instrument thereof, in order to prevent its discovery; and  
(3) By harboring, concealing or assisting in the escape of the principal/s in the act 
of arbitrary internal displacement: Provided, that the accessory acts are done 
with the abuse of the official’s public functions. 
(d) The courts shall impose the corresponding accessory penalties under the 
Revised Penal Code, especially where the offender is a public officer. 
 
SECTION 14. Applicability of the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal Laws. – The 
provisions of the Revised Penal Code and other relevant special penal laws, insofar as they 
are applicable, shall be suppletory to this Act. 
 
SECTION 15. Jurisdiction of the Courts. – The proper and competent civilian courts shall 
have jurisdiction over the offense of arbitrary internal displacement as defined and penalized 
in this Act. 
 
SECTION 16. Financial Assistance to IDPs – When the operations conducted by the 
military, police and other law enforcement agencies cause damage to IDPs, the necessary 
financial assistance for their return, resettlement or re-integration shall be provided. 
 
SECTION 17. Compensation. – The CHR shall determine the damages inflicted against 
IDPs and direct the parties and agencies responsible for arbitrary internal displacement to 
award monetary compensation under the following circumstances;  
(a) Where death of an individual victim the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos 
(P50,000.00) shall be granted to the legal heirs of the victim as a death benefit;  
(b) Where physical, emotional and/or psychological injury is caused to an individual 
victim, actual and compensatory damages, including moral, nominal, exemplary 
and temperate damages resulting from such injury, shall be paid to the victim; 
and  
(c) Where loss of or damage to property of an individual victim occurs, the amount 
corresponding to the fair market value of the property lost or destroyed or the 
amount mutually agreed upon by the parties involved, whichever is higher, shall 
be paid to the victim. 
 


 
SECTION 18. Role of the CHR. – The CHR shall be designated as the institutional 
focal point for IDP’s. 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 internal displacement;  
(b) To conduct public 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 violation against IDPs involving against IDPs involving civil and political 
rights, in accordance with Section 18 (1) of Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution, 
and when found in the investigation that the filing of the case in court is 
warranted ,request the assistance of any department, bureau, office or agency 
, such as the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice or the 
Ombudsman, by virtue of Executive Order No. 163,Series of 1987; 
(d) To determine the damages incurred against IDPs and facilitate award of 
compensation for such victims by directing the parties and agencies 
responsible for the violations to grant the same; 
(e) To cite any person in contempt for violations of the orders issued by them in 
accordance with the Rules of Court; 
(f) To follow up on early warning and ensure effective measures to protect the 
civilian populations against arbitrary internal displacement; 
(g) To advise the government on the rights of IDPs, formulate sound national 
policy and legislation and to facilitate discussions to effectively address 
situations of internal displacements;  
(h) To undertake educational activities and training programs for State authorities, 
including the AFP;  
(i) To hold public information drives on the protection and rights of IDPs, and 
foster IDP participation in the decision-making process regarding issues that 
concern them; and 
(j) To carry out such other acts that may be necessary to fully implement the 
purposes of this Act. 
 
 
SECTION 19. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – A Joint Congressional 
Oversight Committee is hereby created, composed of the Chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Justice and Human Rights and seven (7) other Senators designated by the 
Senate Presidents, 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) shall represent the Majority and three (3) from the 
Minority.  
 
The joint Congressional Oversight Committee shall also have the power to inquire into, 
summon and investigate the Orders of Battle as defined this Act, as well as the legal and 
factual justifications for the inclusion of specific persons and groups in 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 Order 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 Order of Battle. 
 
The invocation of national security as a defense may not prevent the Joint Congressional 
Oversight Committee from inquiring into the factual and/or legal bases for the existence of 
an Order of Battle. Should there be a need to inquire into the factual basis for the invocation 
of national security, the Committee shall convene in an executive session and hear the 
officials invoking it. Should the basis not be satisfactory to the Committee, the public 
hearing/s will continue and appropriate recommendations shall thereafter be made by the 
Committee. 
 
SECTION 20. Monitoring of Compliance with this Act. – An inter-agency coordinating 
committee shall be tasked to periodically monitor the compliance of this Act. The committee 
shall be headed by the Chairperson of the CHR. Members of this group shall be composed 
of: 
 
(a) A representative, with the rank of Undersecretary, from the Department of 
National Defense; 
(b) A representative, with the rank of Undersecretary, from the Department of 
National Defense; 
(c) A representative, with the rank of Undersecretary, from the Department of the 
Interior and Local Government; 
(d) A representative from the Office of Civil Defense / National Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Coordinating Council; 
(e) A representative of human rights non-government organization (NGOs) and other 
human rights groups, nominated by a selection board composed of human rights 
groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); 
(f) The Chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the Senate; 
and 
(g) The Chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the House of 
Representatives. 
 
The Committee shall work towards the collection of data on the number and condition of the 
IDPs, leading to a registry that will aid the government in efficient planning and policy making 
regarding issues affecting IDPs. 
 
The Committee shall likewise prioritize the releasing of immediate financial assistance, 
allotted by its component agencies, to those affected by arbitrary internal displacement. 
 
The Committee shall submit an annual report to the Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee herein created, thirty (30) days after the end of each fiscal year. Such annual 
report shall be the basis for proposed amendments to existing legislation to improve the 
conditions of internally displaced persons. 
 
SECTION 21. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be charges against the current year’s appropriation of the CHR, the DSWD, 
the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG). Thereafter, the sums as may be necessary for the continued 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
 


SECTION 22. 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. 
 
In the formulation of the rules and regulations, the CHR shall take the lead and coordinate 
with DSWD, DND, DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 
DOH, National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Presidential Commission on 
Urban Poor (PCUP), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), 
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Coordinating Council (NDRRMCC), 
National Housing Authority (NHA) and consult with the LGUs concerned, human rights non-
governmental organizations and peoples organizations. 
 
SECTION 23. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, memorandum 
orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, ordinances or parts thereof which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION 24. Separability 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. 
 
SECTION 25. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its publication 
in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) newspapers of national circulation. 
 
Approved,