TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and 
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr. 
House Bill No.  _____ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill was approved by the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress. 
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are described as those “persons or groups of 
persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual 
residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations 
of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and 
who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.  IDPs are differentiated from 
refugees in that the latter “flee across international frontiers with a well-founded fear of 
persecution based on racial, religious, national, social or political grounds.” IDPs do not enjoy 
adequate protection and assistance compared to their counterparts who crossed an 
internationally recognized border.  They therefore experience suffering, neglect and 
deprivation. 
The Philippines has a high number of internally displaced persons and among the top 
forty (40) countries all over the world where internal displacement is considered as a significant 
phenomenon.  According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, there are a total of 
301,000 IDPs in 2018, with a very high percentage of this in Southern Mindanao. 
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were formulated to 
recognize and respect the rights of IDPs to be protected against enforced or involuntary 
displacement, at the instance of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). 
The Philippines, having been one of the original signatories of the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, does not have an existing government mechanism to prevent the occurrence 
of internal displacement are merely considered as collateral damages. 
The measure seeks to localize the guiding principles on internal displacement set forth 
by the United Nations.  Through this proposal, the Government shall be able to establish a 
mechanism to support victims of internal displacement in armed conflict, to be able to ensure 
that the rights and lives of its citizens shall not be placed at risk. 
Thus, the immediate approval of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ 
  MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR. 
July 7, 2025
3:45 pm
1504


TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and 
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr. 
House Bill No.  _____ 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AND PENALIZING 
THE ACTS OF ARBITRARY INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress so assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Rights of Internally Displaced 
Persons Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies. – Consistent with the principles 
enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, the standards set by the International Humanitarian Law 
(IHL) and human rights laws, international treaties and conventions adhered to by the 
Philippines, and international customary law, including the United Nations’ Guiding Principles 
on Internal Displacement (UNGPID), and other humanitarian standards, it is hereby declared 
a State policy to adopt a human rights-based approach for the promotion and protection of 
the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in situations of armed conflict, generalized 
and/or organized violence, clan wars, violations of human rights, implementation of 
development projects, natural, human-induced and human-made hazards. 
When 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 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.  
The State shall likewise ensure that the IDPs shall be protected from any form of 
discrimination or persecution and shall prioritize their rehabilitation and reintegration to 
society.  
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Apartheid refers to inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalized regime
of systematic oppression and domination by one (1) racial group or groups and committed 
with the intention of maintaining that regime; 
(b) Arbitrary Internal Displacement refers to an act of displacement or any other coercive act
committed by any person or group/s of persons and directed against the civilian population, 
which is 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, whether permanent or temporary, of an area in which they are lawfully 
present, which causes displacement and characterized by those situations as defined under 
Section 8 of this Act; 
(c) Armed Conflict refers to any use of force or armed violence between States or protracted
1504


 
 
armed violence between governmental authorities and organized armed groups or between 
such groups within that State: Provided, That such force or armed violence gives rise, or may 
give rise, to a situation to which the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, including their 
common Article 3, apply; 
Armed conflict may be international, that is, between two (2) or more States, including 
belligerent occupation; or non-international, that is, between governmental authorities and 
organized armed groups or between such groups within a State. It does not cover internal 
disturbances or tensions such as riots, isolated and sporadic acts of violence, or other acts 
of a similar nature; 
 
            (d) Children refer to persons below eighteen (18) years of age or those over but are unable 
to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, 
exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition; 
 
            (e) Conflict-affected Areas refer to communities where (a) there are actual armed encounters 
between the government forces and political armed groups, or (b) where political armed 
groups dominate the state of affairs of the community, or (c) where other forms of violent 
conflicts exist; 
 
            (f) Conflict-vulnerable Areas refer to communities that are proximate to conflict-affected 
areas, where possible side-stepping of armed group or groups is imminent. It can also include 
geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) whose resources, actual or 
symbolic, are deemed valuable by the political armed group; 
 
             (g) Clan War refers to any conflict characterized by sporadic outbursts of retaliatory violence 
between and among families, kinship groups, and communities; 
 
             (h) Durable Solution refers to a situation where the internally displaced persons no longer 
have any specific assistance and protection needs that are linked to their displacement and 
can enjoy their human rights without discrimination on account of their displacement; 
 
             (i) Enforced Disappearance refers to the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of 
deprivation of liberty committed by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons 
acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to 
acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the 
disappeared person, which places such person outside the protection of the law; 
 
            (j) Ethnic Cleansing refers to an act of one ethnic or religious group to remove the civilian 
population of another ethnic or religious group from a certain geographic area by using force, 
threat, or intimidation, or deception to a person or groups of peoples in areas ethnically 
homogenous, such as Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous People (ICCs/IPs), or 
religious groups to be removed from a given area, their place of abode or territories that they 
have occupied since time immemorial; 
 
            (k) Generalized and/or Organized Violence refers to the purposeful and systematic use of 
terror and brutality to control individuals, groups and communities, using overwhelming force, 
and is characterized by widespread, massive, or sufficient intensity, causing arbitrary internal 
displacement of persons or communities. Its methods include causing severe pain and 
suffering, killing, intimidating, threatening, and, in some cases, destroying a community, ethnic 
group or political opposition; 
 
(l) Imperative Military Necessity refers to the principle of military necessity in 
International Humanitarian Law, which permits measures that are actually necessary to 
accomplish a legitimate military purpose and are not otherwise prohibited in international 
humanitarian law; 


 
 
 
(m) Implementation of Development Projects refers to the carrying out of any 
undertaking or activity aimed at economic, social, or political growth, advancement, and 
expansion that results or may result in the arbitrary internal displacement of persons: Provided, 
That the term does not include projects that have undergone consultation with and secured 
the consent of the affected communities and those that are legitimate resettlement schemes 
and/or programs, including expropriation of property by the government; 
 
Reference to the Kampala Convention shall serve as guide in the State’s obligations 
in development projects, which states that: 
 
1. States Parties, as much as possible, shall prevent displacement caused by projects 
carried out by public or private actors; 
 
2. States Parties shall ensure that the stakeholders concerned will explore feasible 
alternatives, with full information and consultation of persons likely to be displaced by 
projects; and 
 
3. States parties shall carry out a socio-economic and environmental impact assessment 
of a proposed development project prior to undertaking such a project. 
 
(n) 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, within the national borders, as a result of or in order to avoid or minimize the effects 
of armed conflict, situations of generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human 
rights, implementation of development projects, natural, human-induced and human-made 
hazards; 
 
(o) Internally Displaced Person (IDP) refers to any person or group of persons who has 
or have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence 
within the national borders and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State 
border, as a result of, or in order to avoid or minimize the effects of armed conflict, situations 
of generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, implementation of 
development projects, clan wars, natural, human-induced and human-made hazards; 
 
(p) Order of Battle refers to any document made by the military, police or any law 
enforcement agency of the government, listing the names of persons and organizations that 
are perceived to be enemies of the State and are considered as legitimate targets as 
combatants that it could deal with, through the use of means allowed by domestic and 
international law; 
 
(q) Sexual Abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, 
whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions; 
 
(r) Sexual Exploitation means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of 
vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, 
profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another; and 
 
(s) Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups refer to those that face higher exposure to 
disaster risk and poverty including, but not limited to, women, children, youth, elderly, persons 
with disabilities (PWDs) and indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples. 
 
SEC. 4. Scope. – This Act shall primarily provide for the protection of rights of IDPs during 
and after displacement, as well as their safe, voluntary, and dignified return, local integration, 
or resettlement elsewhere in the country. This Act shall likewise cover arbitrary internal 


 
 
displacement of civilians as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, 
situations of generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, 
implementation of development projects, natural, human-induced, and man-made hazards. 
This Act covers relevant domestic laws, such as Republic Act No. 11188, or the “Special 
Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act”, Republic Act No. 8371 or the 
“Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997”, Republic Act No. 9851 or the “Philippine Act on 
Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against 
Humanity”, and Republic Act No. 10821 or the “Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection 
Act”, among others. 
To address the risks involved in natural hazards and the overall impact of climate 
change and global warming on the rights of those who are internally displaced, due reference 
shall be made to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9729 or the “Climate Change 
Act of 2009”, Republic Act No. 10121 or the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and 
Management Act of 2010”,  Republic Act No. 10821, or the “Children’s Emergency Relief and 
Protection Act”, Republic Act No. 11188, or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of 
Armed Conflict Act and other relevant laws. 
 
SEC. 5. Primary Duty to Protect the IDPs. – The State has the primary duty and 
responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to IDPs. As such, 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 IHL, human rights 
laws, and other relevant domestic laws, so as to prevent and avoid conditions that might lead 
to the arbitrary internal displacement of persons.  
 
SEC. 6. Protection of Rights of IDPs During and After Displacement. - Internally displaced 
persons shall enjoy, in full equality, the same rights and freedoms under international and 
domestic law as do other persons in the Philippines. They shall not be discriminated against 
in the enjoyment of any rights and freedoms on the ground that they are internally displaced, 
or on any grounds such as 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. 
The following rights of IDPs shall be protected and upheld during and after their 
displacement whether found inside or outside evacuation centers: 
 
(a) 
 Provision and Access to Basic Necessities. – At the minimum, regardless of 
the circumstances, and without discrimination, the national and local governments shall 
provide IDPs with and ensure safe access to: 
 
(1) Essential and adequate food and nutrition; 
 
(2) Water sanitation, hygiene facilities, including menstrual hygiene management 
requirements, and potable water; 
 
(3) Dignified, adequate, and safe shelter and housing in accordance with international and 
domestic standards; 
 
(4) Legal assistance such as, but not limited to, legal advice and documentation; 
 
(5) Appropriate clothing; 
 
(6) Essential medical and dental services and sanitation, including psychological and social 
services and essential drugs and medicines; 
 
(7) Other humanitarian needs, including support to persons with specific needs, child-and 


 
 
mother-friendly facilities, to include but not limited to breastfeeding stations, temporary 
learning places, place of worship; and 
 
(8) Due consideration in the processing of permits in the use of parcels of lands for temporary 
residential or commercial use by IDPs; and 
 
(9) Mitigation, prevention and response measures to protect displaced populations especially 
women, children, youth, among others, from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse, 
neglect, and discrimination; 
  
(b)         Protection Against Criminal Offenses and Other Unlawful Acts. –  
 
(1)  It shall be unlawful to commit any 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 
unacknowledged 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 military, police or any armed group; 
(iv) attacks against any evacuation center, facility, encampment or other settlements; and  
(v) use of anti-personnel landmines; 
 
(3) IDPs shall be protected in particular against: 
 
(i) rape and other outrages upon personal dignity, such as forced prostitution, trafficking of 
persons, any act of gender-specific violence, or any form of indecent assault; 
(ii) mutilation, torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment; 
(iii) any forms of violence against children, such as trafficking forced labor or sexual 
exploitation and other violations of children’s rights; 
(iv) slavery or any contemporary form of slavery, such as sale into marriage, sexual 
exploitation or forced labor of children; and  
(v) acts of violence intended to spread terror among IDPs.  
 
Threats and incitement to commit any of the foregoing acts under paragraph (b), 
subsections (1) and (3) herein shall be 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), in close coordination and 
consultations with the military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations, 
and other concerned agencies of the government; 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 the right to choose residence and 
move freely in and out of any evacuation center, encampment or other settlements. 
Restrictions on movement shall be introduced only in exceptional circumstances, such 
as national emergencies, pandemics, and those of similar nature, subject to any lawful 
and reasonable order which must be issued in writing by the government; 
 
(2) IDPs, whether or not they are living in an evacuation center, encampment or other 
settlements, including home-based settings, shall not be discriminated against in the 
enjoyment of the rights to: 
 
(i) enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, opinion and expression; 
 
(ii) seek freely opportunities for employment and to participate in economic activities; 
 
(iii) associate freely and participate equally in community affairs; 
 
(iv) vote and participate in governmental and public affairs, including the right to have access 
to the means necessary to exercise these rights; and 
 
(v)  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 or resettlement in any place where their lives, safety, 
liberty and/or health would be at risk; 
 
(d) Recognition, Issuance and Replacement of Documents. – The authorities 
concerned shall issue to the IDPs all documents 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, such as requiring the return to one’s area of habitual residence in 
order to obtain their documents and without discrimination against men and women, who shall 
have equal rights to obtain and to be issued the same in their own names: Provided however, 
That pending the release or access of such documentation from the authorities, the enjoyment 
and exercise of legal rights of the IDPs will not be suspended; 
 
(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 facilitate inquiries made by family members and encourage and cooperate 
with the work of international and local humanitarian organizations engaged in the task 
of family reunification such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 
and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IRCM); 
 
(3) IDPs have the right to know the status and whereabouts of their missing relatives. The 
authorities concerned shall endeavor to establish the status 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) The authorities concerned shall endeavor to collect and identify the mortal remains of the 
deceased, prevent their despoliation or mutilation and facilitate the return of those 
remains to the next-of- kin or dispose of them respectfully according to customs and 
tradition; 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 and 
breastfeeding mothers, mothers with young children, female heads of households, 
PWDs and elderly persons, and other vulnerable groups, 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 psychiatric care, psychological and social 
services and such other forms of assistance necessary for them; 
 
(3) Special attention shall be paid to the health needs of women, girls and lesbians, gays, 
bisexuals, transgenders and queer community (LGBTQs), including access to 
comprehensive reproductive health care services and hygiene support, to be provided 
whenever feasible by female health care providers, as well as appropriate counseling 
and other services for victims of sexual and other abuses; 
 
(4) Special attention shall also be given to the prevention of health emergencies, contagious 
and infectious diseases, among IDPs; and 
 
(5) The authorities concerned shall ensure that IDPs, in particular, displaced children, receive 
education that are free and compulsory at the early and basic education. Special efforts 
shall be made to ensure the full and equal participation of women and children including 
those with disabilities in educational programs, and that respect for their cultural 
identity, language and religion, educational and training facilities shall be made 
available to them whether or not they are living in evacuation facilities, encampments, 
or other settlements, as soon as circumstances permit;  
 
(g) Property and Possessions. – The property and possessions of IDPs shall, in all 
circumstances, be protected against the following acts: 
 
1) 
Pillage or looting; 
2) 
Direct and indiscriminate attacks or other acts or omission; 


 
 
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, arbitrary and illegal appropriation, occupation or use. 
 
 (h) Right to Participation.-  IDPs, including children, shall have the right to actively 
participate in the planning and management of their displacement situation as well as return, 
local integration, or settlement elsewhere. In addition, IDPs shall be provided with conditions 
to facilitate the exercise of their right to political participation. The rights and obligations herein 
shall not be interpreted as restricting, modifying or impairing the provisions of any international 
human rights or international humanitarian law or rights granted to persons under domestic 
law. 
 
SEC. 7. Assistance During Displacement of IDPs. – The primary duty and responsibility for 
providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs lie with the State, 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. 
The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) shall immediately coordinate with the 
abovementioned agencies for the provision of legal assistance to the IDPs. 
Humanitarian assistance to IDPs shall not be diverted, suspended, or diverted for any 
political or military reason. All authorities concerned shall grant and facilitate the free passage 
of humanitarian assistance to the IDPs and ensure rapid, safe and unimpeded access of 
persons engaged in giving such assistance, their transport and supplies to the displaced 
communities. Persons engaged in humanitarian assistance, including their transport, shall not 
be the objects of attack or other acts of violence. 
All concerned authorities shall assist the IDPs in the restitution or recovery of their 
property and possessions and shall provide or assist these persons in obtaining appropriate 
financial assistance or other forms of just reparation. 
 
SEC.  8. Prohibited Acts of 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 safety and security of civilians and non-
combatants are involved or imperative military reasons so demand; 
 
(c) in cases of development projects, which have not secured the Free and Prior 
Informed Consent of the concerned ICCs/IPs or those which are not justified by compelling 
and overriding public interest and with proper implementation of return, local integration, or 
resettlement elsewhere of affected IDPs, including just compensation in view of expropriation 
proceedings; 
 
(d) in cases of natural, human-induced, and man-made hazards, unless the safety, 
security, and health of those affected require their evacuation; 
 
(e) when used as a form of collective punishment; 
 
(f) in cases of clan wars, unless the safety and security of those civilians not involved in 
the conflict or violence are endangered; and 
 


 
 
(g) in cases where there is malice, bad faith, gross negligence, or in any manner causes 
a willful violation of the rights granted herein and other similar rights provided by international 
human rights law and domestic laws and policies. 
 
An Order of Battle or any document of similar nature issued by the military or any law 
enforcement agency of the government shall not justify arbitrary internal displacement and 
shall subject the perpetrators to the penalties provided herein. 
 
SEC. 9. Safeguards Against Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – If displacement is 
inevitable under circumstances beyond control that pose hazardous and security risks to the 
lives and properties of persons living in communities, displacement shall not be carried out in 
a manner that violates the rights to life, liberty, dignity, security, and property of those affected, 
irrespective of their legal status and applied without any adverse distinction. 
All concerned authorities, groups, and persons shall observe the following safeguards 
against arbitrary internal displacement: 
 
(a) All feasible alternatives shall be explored in order to avoid displacement. Where no 
alternative exists, 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, pursuant to their respective mandates 
and functions, shall ensure, to the greatest practicable extent, that proper accommodation is 
effected in satisfactory conditions of safety, nutrition, water and sanitation, and health and 
hygiene, and that members of the same family, especially women and children, are not 
separated; 
 
(c) Minorities, peasants, pastoralists, PWDs and other groups with special dependency 
on and attachment to their lands shall be protected from arbitrary internal displacement. 
 
ICCs/IPs shall be protected from arbitrary internal displacement. When displacement 
is considered necessary as an exceptional measure, it shall take place only with the free and 
prior informed consent (FPIC) of ICCs/IPs concerned pursuant to the provisions of Republic 
Act No. 8371 and existing guidelines on FPIC. 
 
(d) In situations other than during the emergency stages of armed conflicts and 
disasters, the following guarantees shall be complied with: 
 
(1) Specific decision which 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 financial assistance 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, elderly persons and PWDs, in the planning and management of their return, 
local integration or resettlement elsewhere; 
 
(5) 
Law enforcement measures, when required, shall be carried out by competent 
legal authorities; with proper observance of due process and respect for human rights; 
and 
 
(6) 
The right to an effective remedy, including the review of such decisions by 
appropriate judicial authorities, shall be respected. 


 
 
SEC. 10. Permanent Prohibition Against Arbitrary Internal Displacement. – The 
prohibition against arbitrary internal displacement and the fundamental safeguards for its 
prevention shall not be suspended under any circumstance, including political instability, threat 
of war, state of war, or other public emergencies. 
 
SEC. 11. Early Recovery Plan. – All LGUs shall craft their Early Recovery Plans (ERP) under 
the supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). 
In this regard, the appropriate bureau under the DILG and the CHR shall jointly design 
the mechanism for providing technical assistance to LGUs, monitoring the compliance of 
LGUs, and conducting the periodic review of the ERPs. 
The authorities concerned shall endeavor to involve those belonging in the vulnerable 
and marginalized sector in the planning and management of their return, local integration or 
resettlement elsewhere. 
 
SEC. 12. Return, Local Integration or Resettlement.– Competent authorities, such as the 
military and law enforcement agencies conducting operations, the DSWD, the DOH, the LGUs 
concerned, and other relevant government agencies, shall have the primary duty and 
responsibility to establish conditions and provide durable solutions as means for IDPs to return 
voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, to their homes or places of habitual residence, or to 
resettle voluntarily in places of refuge and/or in another part of the country, taking into 
consideration the right of IDPs to choose a residence. 
The CHR, through inclusive and extensive consultation, shall formulate a National 
Strategy on Solutions to Internal Displacement, which will be presented for adoption by the 
Inter-agency Coordinating Committee. 
The National Strategy shall be evaluated five years from its adoption which shall be 
the basis for the enhancement of the subsequent National Strategy. 
Said authorities, including the CHR, shall likewise ensure prior consultations and full 
participation of IDPs during and after the planning and management of their return, local 
integration, or resettlement elsewhere. 
 
SEC. 13. Development of Host Communities. – The State shall undertake the continuous 
development of host communities by ensuring that the relevant socio-economic, infrastructure 
and public works, and other development and investment plans, programs, and funding 
adequately and proportionately include the specific needs and requirements of these 
communities and localities. 
 
SEC. 14. Mechanisms for International Humanitarian Assistance. – International 
humanitarian organizations, their local counterparts and other appropriate actors shall have 
the right to offer their services, including humanitarian assistance, in support of the IDPs. 
These acts shall be considered done 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. 
All authorities shall grant and facilitate the free passage of humanitarian assistance and 
grant persons engaged in the provision of such assistance rapid and unimpeded access to 
the IDPs.  
All humanitarian organizations and agencies which provide assistance to IDPs 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. Such organizations 
conducting operations in any emergency-affected areas, or are directly or indirectly interacting 
with the IDPs, are prohibited from committing any acts of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse 
such as but not limited to: (a) sexual activity with children, as defined under existing laws; (b) 
use of sex in exchange of money, employment, goods or services including hiring of 
prostitutes, and (c) any sexual relationship with beneficiaries that involves improper use of 
position or authority. Humanitarian or aid workers shall uphold their duty of care towards the 


 
 
displaced populations and shall maintain the trust of the communities being served. They are 
obliged to create and maintain an environment which prevents sexual exploitation and abuse. 
The importation 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, as regards national internal revenue 
taxes and import duties of national and local government agencies, and the prevailing 
provisions of the General Appropriations Act (GAA). 
 
SEC. 15.    Penalties. –  
 
(a) The penalty of reclusion temporal in its minimum to medium period shall be 
imposed upon any person or group of persons who commit the following: 
 
(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 who cooperated in the execution of the act of arbitrary internal displacement by 
previous or simultaneous acts; 
 
(5) 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 a 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; and 
 
(6) In case the acts of arbitrary internal displacement are committed by a corporation or a 
juridical entity, the members of the Board of Directors who were present in the meeting 
and who actually voted for the approval of the resolution or order directing the 
commission of arbitrary internal displacement, and the corporate officers or agents who 
carried out such resolution or order of the corporation shall each be criminally liable. 
 
(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 
instruments 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. 
 
SEC. 16.  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. 
 
SEC. 17.   Non-prescription. – The crimes defined and penalized under this Act, their 
prosecution, and the execution of sentences imposed on their account, shall not be subject to 
any prescription. 
 
SEC.  18.   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. 
 
SEC. 19. Damages. – A court of competent jurisdiction shall determine the damages inflicted 
against IDPs and direct the persons responsible for arbitrary internal displacement to award 
monetary compensation under the following circumstances: 
 
(a) Where the death of an individual victim occurs, the amount to be determined by the 
court 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. Upon a finding of 
such injury and distinct from the compensation for actual, compensatory, moral, nominal, 
and/or temperate damages, such determination shall also include a referral to the DOH and 
the DSWD for appropriate interventions or services, including psycho-social intervention and 
rehabilitation; and 
 
(c) Cases for damages filed under this Act shall be considered as independent civil 
action and summary in nature. The Supreme Court shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations to govern the procedure for cases filed in this manner. 
 
SEC. 20.  Financial Assistance to IDPs. – Whenever human rights violations are caused to 
the IDPs as incidents or consequences of arbitrary internal displacement, the necessary 
financial assistance for their reparation, return, local integration or resettlement elsewhere 
shall be provided. 
The CHR shall enhance its existing financial assistance program to include financial 
assistance for the purpose of facilitating the reparation, return, local integration or resettlement 
elsewhere of IDPs. 
    Receipt of such financial assistance shall be without prejudice to the amount of 
assistance granted under other government programs, such as the Victims’ Compensation 
Program of the Department of Justice (DOJ) by virtue of Republic Act No. 7309, the relief 
assistance to IDPs by the DSWD, the DOH, and other similar programs which may be made 
available to IDPs under existing laws, rules and regulations. 
 
SEC.  21. Non-monetary Reparation. – The DOH, the DSWD, the Department of Education 
(DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA) and such other agencies shall render necessary services as 
nonmonetary reparation for IDPs and their families as may be determined, in coordination with 
the CHR, pursuant to the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC.  22. Role of the CHR. – Pursuant to Article XII, Section 18 (11) of the 1987 Constitution, 
the CHR is hereby designated as the institutional focal point for IDPs. As such, the CHR shall 


 
 
have the following additional functions: 
 
(a) To monitor IDP conditions through the development of a system to track concerns, 
actions taken and other relevant information, and be the repositories of child protection and 
protection from sexual exploitation and abuse policies to ensure that IDP rights are respected, 
protected, and fulfilled 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 the 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 XIII of the 1987 Constitution, ; and when found in the investigation that the 
filing of a case in court is warranted, request the assistance of any department, bureau, office 
or agency, such as the National Prosecution Service of the DOJ or the Ombudsman, by virtue 
of Executive Order No. 163, series of 1987; 
 
(d)To render financial assistance at its sole discretion, as part of its existing financial 
assistance program, as well as psycho-social interventions and similar services to IDPs, and 
to issue necessary guidelines to implement the same; 
 
(e)To recommend the grant of assistance to IDPs, by the other agencies of 
government, taking into consideration their respective mandates and functions as may be 
appropriate; 
 
(f) To cite any person in contempt for violations of the orders issued by them in 
accordance with the Rules of Court; 
 
(g)To follow up on early warning and ensure effective measures to protect the civilian 
population against arbitrary internal displacement; 
 
(h)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 
displacement; 
 
(i) To undertake educational activities and training programs for State authorities, 
including the AFP, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and local government units; 
 
(j) To hold public information drives on the protection and rights of IDPs, and foster 
their participation in the decision-making process regarding issues that concern them; and 
 
(k) To carry out such other acts that may be necessary to fully implement the purposes 
of this Act. 
 
SEC. 23. Monitoring of Compliance. – An inter-agency coordinating committee shall be 
tasked to periodically monitor the compliance with this Act. The Committee shall be co-headed 
by the Chairperson of the CHR and the Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). 
 
The members of the group shall be composed of: 
 
(a) Undersecretary, DSWD; 
(b) Undersecretary, DepEd; 
(c) Undersecretary, DILG; 


 
 
(d) Undersecretary, DOH; 
(e) Undersecretary, DOJ; 
(f) Undersecretary, Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development; 
(g) Undersecretary, Department of National Defense; 
(h) Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; 
(i) Undersecretary, National Economic and Development Authority;  
(j) Presidential Adviser, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and 
Unity; 
(k) Commissioner, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; 
(l) Chief Public Attorney, PAO; 
(m) Executive Director, Council for the Welfare of Children; 
(n) Chairperson, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor; 
(o) Secretary, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos; 
(p) Executive Director, Philippine Commission on Women; 
(q) National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Philippine Statistics Authority;  
(r)  Director General, TESDA; 
(s) Commissioner, Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission; and  
(t) Three (3) representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with experience 
in working with IDPs, nominated by a selection board composed of human rights 
groups and NGOs. 
 
The Committee shall work towards the collection of data on the number and conditions 
of IDPs, leading to a database that will aid the government in efficient planning and policy-
making regarding issues affecting IDPs. 
The Committee shall likewise prioritize the release of immediate financial assistance, 
allotted by its component agencies, to those affected by internal displacement. 
The Committee shall submit an annual report to the Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee herein created, within thirty (30) days at the end of each fiscal year which shall be 
the basis for proposed amendments to existing legislation to improve the conditions of IDPs. 
 
SEC. 24. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – A Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee (JCOC) is hereby created, composed of the Chairperson of the Senate Committee 
on Justice and Human Rights and seven (7) other Senators designated by the Senate 
President, and the Chairperson 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) shall represent the Minority. 
The Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall ensure the 
representation of women legislators in the JCOC. 
The JCOC shall also have the power to inquire into, summon and investigate the 
Orders of Battle as defined under this Act, and/or any document of similar nature, as well as 
the legal and factual justifications for the inclusion of specific persons and groups in said 
Orders of Battle or similar documents. In this regard, the JCOC 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 or 
similar documents. For this purpose, the highest-ranking officers or heads of offices shall be 
charged with testifying before the JCOC in relation to any inquiries on the Orders of Battle or 
similar documents. 
The invocation of national security as a defense may not prevent the JCOC from 
inquiring into the factual and/or legal bases for the existence of an Order of Battle, or any 
similar document, or the inclusion of specific persons or groups in said Orders of Battle or 
similar documents. Should there be a need to inquire into the factual basis for the invocation 
of national security, the JCOC shall convene in an executive session and hear the officials 
invoking it. Should the basis not be satisfactory to the JCOC, the public hearing/s will continue 
and appropriate recommendations shall thereafter be made by the JCOC. 


 
 
 
SEC. 25. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the departments and agencies 
concerned. Thereafter, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 26. Implementing Rules and Regulations. –Within One hundred twenty days (120) 
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Chairperson of the CHR and the Secretary of the DND, 
DSWD, DILG, DOH, DOJ, DHSUD, and DENR, the Chairperson of NCIP, PCW, PCUP, and  
National Anti-Poverty Commission-Victims of Disaster and Calamities (NAPC-VDC), in 
coordination with other government agencies and in consultation with human rights 
nongovernmental organizations and people’s organizations,  shall jointly  formulate rules and 
regulations to implement the  provisions of this Act.  The Chairperson of the CHR and the 
Secretary of the DND shall act as the co-chairpersons of the body that shall formulate the IRR.   
 
SEC. 27. 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. 
 
SEC. 28. 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. 
 
SEC. 29. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of national circulation. 
 
Approved,