FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Numerous cases of missing persons are reported everyday. Many children and adults who 
may have been victims of abductions, natural disasters, trafficking and other causes, have 
remained unfound due to lack of information and assistance. The Constitution, Article 2, Section 
5 provides that: 
SEC. 5 .  xxx the protection of lire, liberty, and property, and the 
promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by 
all people of the blessings of democracy. 
Thus, the State is obligated to ensure the public's safety and institute an effective and 
immediate response to cases of missing persons. In the United States, it has been reported that 
one in six missing children are recovered as a direct result of someone recognizing their photo on 
an electronic public database and notifying authorities. 
This bill seeks to create the first national repository for missing persons and unidentified 
decedent records. The database will be readily accessible through the internet. 
The internet can become a valuable tool in the search for missing persons. Its speed in 
information dissemination is incomparable. Its capacity to store vast amounts of digital records 
is an ideal way to manage the volume of files that are anticipated in these cases. 
Through this tool, the Department of Justice shall be able to assist families, law 
enforcement agencies, medical examiners and coroners, victim advocates, and the general public 
in solving these cases. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
Second Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
9 
JAM 29 P 1 :44 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO DIRECT THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A PUBLIC 
WEBSITE THROUGH WHICH INDIVIDUALS MAY FIND A COMPLETE DATABASE OF 
MISSING PERSONS AND UNIDENTIFIED DECEDENT RECORDS 
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 “National Missing and 
Unidentified Persons Database Act.” 
SECTION 2. Dej?nnitions. - The purposes of this Act the term - 
A. MISSING PERSON - means any individual whose whereabouts is unknown to 
the reporting party. This includes any child who may have run away, been taken 
involuntary or may be in need of assistance. It includes a child illegally taken, 
held or hidden by apparent or non-parent family member. 
B. UNIDENTIFIED DECEDENT - means any person who has died and whose 
bodies have not been identified. 
C. SECRETARY - means the Secretary of Justice, unless otherwise indicated. 
SECTION 3. Establishment of a Database. - The Secretary shall establish and maintain, 
on the public website of the Department of Education, a database consisting of information on 
missing persons and unidentified decedents. 
The database will be engineered such that the 
general public will be able to search for matches between missing persons and unidentified 
decedent records. Access to this database shall be free of charge. 
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SECTION 4. Missing Persons Database.- This database shall contain information about 
missing person, including photographs, physical characteristics, fingerprints and dentalhody x- 
rays, where last seen, and other pertinent information. 
SECTION 5. Unidentified Decedents Database. - This database shall contain information 
entered by medical examiners and coroners, which will include photographs, physical 
characteristics, and other information that will help in the identification of the deceased. 
SECTION 6. Duties of law enforcement agencies. - All law enforcement agencies shall 
accept any report, including a report by telephone, of a missing person, including runaways. 
These reports shall be verified and forwarded to the Department of Justice without delay. The 
Department of Justice shall promulgate in the implementing rules safeguards to prevent false 
reports and misuse of the database. 
SECTION 7. Dissemination of Information on Database. - The Secretary shall take such 
actions as may be necessary on an ongoing basis, including sending notices to schools, welfare 
agencies, and other institutions, to disseminate information on the database established and 
maintained under this Act and to encourage its use by interested parties. 
SECTION 8. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Justice under the 
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and 
separate item. 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 11. Effeclivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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