Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT PRESCRIBING A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE DEMOLITION AND 
EVICTION OF HOMELESS AND UNDERPRIVILEGED CITIZENS IN PROTECTION OF 
THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The outbreak of violence during the conduct of evictions and demolitions of our urban and 
rural poor brethren has not only consistently hogged headlines. It has, unfortunately, led to 
instances of severe injuries as well as loss of lives. Moreover, the difficulties of coordinating 
various stakeholders, including various branches and agencies of the government, have led to 
clashes in the jurisdiction. It is not uncommon for us to hear about conflicts between court 
sheriffs and local chief executives when evictions are set to take place. This shouldn’t be the 
case. 
However, while these are sad enough, the trampling of basic human rights on both sides of 
the fence during these incidents is something that is a cause for much more concern. 
Thus, there is a need for a more comprehensive and effective means of coordinating between 
their various stakeholders and government agencies – which this measure seeks to address. 
With the adoption of a Code of Conduct - a handbook of sorts for all concerned persons to 
follow in instances where evictions and demolitions may be validly carried out, we hope that 
these unfortunate incidents have become synonymous with demolitions and evictions in the 
past could be minimized if not avoided. I initially filed this bill in the 16th and 17th Congress. 
My wife, Rep. Joy Tambunting, filed this bill in the 18th Congress. I once again file this 
measure with sincere hopes that it will be passed into law so that the rights of all concerned 
may be protected. 
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. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
August 23, 2022
2:27 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PRESCRIBING A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR DEMOLITION AND EVICTION OF 
HOMELESS AND UNDERPRIVILEGED CITIZENS 
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 "Code of Conduct for Demolition 
and Eviction of Homeless and Underprivileged Citizens." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes the inherent right to life and 
adequate housing for every citizen. Thus, it shall be the policy of the State to discourage the 
practice of eviction and demolition. However, in cases where the demolition of homes and the 
eviction of the homeless and underprivileged citizens is inevitable, the State shall ensure that 
all measures shall be undertaken to guarantee as far as practicable that violence is avoided 
and that State actors, particularly law enforcement personnel shall participate in such activities 
within clearly delineated protocols and that full cooperation between the Local Government 
Units and the various stakeholders is undertaken to guarantee that such demolition or eviction 
proceeds in a just and humane manner.    
 SECTION 3. Minimum Requirements for the Proper Conduct of Demolition or 
Eviction. – In addition to the safeguards provided for in Section 28 of Republic Act No. 7279, 
otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, the following minimum 
requirements shall be observed in instances where the eviction or demolition of homes of 
urban and rural poor dwellers shall be undertaken.  
a.
Any person, including concerned departments and agencies of the national
government, local government units, etc., which intends or proposes to
undertake demolition and eviction activities shall secure, before the actual
implementation of such eviction and demolition activities, a Certificate of
Compliance from the appropriate national or local office of the Presidential
Commission for the Urban Poor which has been designated as the Central
Coordinating Body for Demolitions, as provided for under Section 7 of this Act;
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b. No demolition or eviction activities shall be undertaken unless full coordination 
with the Barangay Officials wherein the property sought to be entered by 
persons, departments, agencies, and local government units intending to 
undertake demolition and eviction activities is located. For purposes of this Act, 
such coordination shall mean the submission of the Certificate of Compliance 
provided for and required in the immediately preceding Section, on the 
submission of the names of all persons, including law enforcement officers, 
private security, and the submission of the Notice of the date intended for such 
demolition and eviction activities, which in all cases shall be at least five (5) 
calendar days from such notice; 
 
c. About to Subsection (b) above, all agencies mandated or requested to assist 
any person, department, agency, or local government unit which intends or 
proposes to undertake demolition and eviction activities shall prepare a list of 
officers and personnel who shall be designated to provide such assistance, 
which list shall be an integral part of the Notice provided for in the 
aforementioned Subsection (b). 
 
SECTION 4. Standard of Conduct for State Actors. – In undertaking any activity in 
connection with any demolition or eviction, which includes rendering any assistance requested 
from any of the stakeholders, including urban and rural poor dwellers, all State Actors; which 
for purposes of this Act shall mean any person acting on behalf of any government body or 
agency, including law enforcement officers and personnel; shall abide by a minimum standard 
of conduct aimed at preventing the outbreak of violence, or in the case of such outbreak of 
violence, the such standard of conduct which will prevent any escalation thereof. For this 
purpose, all State Actors shall adopt rules of engagement based on maximum tolerance. 
 
SECTION 5. Duties of State Actors in Cases of Demolition or Eviction. – It shall be 
the duty of any state actor who shall be called to implement, assist or witness any demolition 
or eviction activity to ensure compliance with the minimum requirements of due process, 
human rights, and the provisions of this Act on the part of all persons involved in such 
demolition or eviction activity.  
 
SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts. – The following shall be considered Prohibited Acts in cases 
where demolition and eviction are proposed or undertaken: 
 
a.  Any demolition and eviction activity is undertaken without the prescribed 
minimum requirements in this Act. 
b. Any unauthorized use of Police or law enforcement personnel. For purposes of 
this Act, it is specifically provided that the participation of Police and other law 
enforcement personnel in any demolition and eviction activity shall be limited 
to peace-keeping; Provided, that: peacekeeping shall not in any manner be 
interpreted as participation in actual eviction or demolition. 
 
c. Any concerted acts of violence by any group of persons resisting demolition or 
eviction activities, which shall include, but shall not be limited to erecting illegal 
barricades, the use of improvised weapons, and the like.  
 
SECTION 7. Designation of a Central Coordinating Body for Demolitions and 
Evictions. -  The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) is hereby designated as 
the Central Coordinating Body for the conduct of demolition and eviction activities involving 


urban and rural homeless poor. In pursuit of the such mandate as provided for in this Act, the 
PCUP shall exercise, among others, the following powers and functions: 
 
1. Monitor all evictions and demolitions, whether extra-judicial or court-ordered, 
involving homeless and underprivileged citizens; 
2. Require the concerned departments and agencies, including concerned local 
government units (LGUs), proposing to undertake demolition and eviction 
activities to secure first from either the PCUP Central Office (in the case of 
National Projects) or the PCUP Regional Office (in the case of regional and local 
projects) the checklist, guidelines and compliance certificates on demolition 
and eviction before the actual implementation thereof and thereafter, submit 
to the PCUP the completed checklist, attested to under oath by the proponent 
and indicating that: 
 
a. Adequate consultations with the affected families have already been 
undertaken; 
 
b. Adequate resettlement site and relocation facilities are available; and 
c. The provisions of Section 3, paragraph 1 of the Implementing Rules and 
Regulations of Section 28 of RA 7279 (Pre-Relocation) have been 
complied with. 
 
3. Based on the completed checklist, and subject to further verification, issue 
demolition and eviction compliance certificates to proposed demolition and 
evictions involving homeless and underprivileged citizens; 
 
4. Investigate motu propio or upon complaint by any party, any violations of the 
provisions of Section 28 of RA 7279 or its implementing rules and regulations; 
 
5. File motu propio or by way of assistance to any aggrieved party, the 
appropriate criminal, the civil or administrative case against any person or 
persons found to have violated the provisions of Section 28 of RA 7279 or its 
implementing rules and regulations; 
 
6. Recommend to the President appropriate measures for the implementation and 
enforcement of Section 28 of RA 7279 and its implementing rules and 
regulations, including possible administrative sanctions against national or local 
government officials who have violated the said law, rules, and regulations; 
 
7. Request the government agency for assistance and necessary information in 
the discharge of their respective functions under this Order; 
 
8. Publicize matters covered by its investigation of violations of the provisions of 
Section 28 of RA 7279 or its implementing rules and regulations when 
circumstances so warrant with due prudence: Provided, however, that the 
PCUP shall, under the rules and regulations shall hereafter promulgate, 
determine what cases may not be made public: Provided, further, that any 
publicity issued by the PCUP shall be balanced, fair and true; 
 
9. Administer oaths, issue subpoenas, subpoena duces tecum, and take the 
testimonies of witnesses in the course of its investigation; 
 


10. Adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure, as well as rules and 
regulations not otherwise inconsistent with existing laws, rules, and 
regulations, to effectively carry out its mandate; and 
 
11. Perform such other function as may hereafter be provided by law. 
 
SECTION 8. Penalties. – Any person who shall be found liable for violating any provision of 
this Act shall, upon conviction for each act or omission, suffer imprisonment of not less than 
two (20) years and one (1) day but not more than four (4) years; Provided that in cases where 
such act or omission constitutes an offense defined under the Revised Penal Code or any other 
special penal law, shall act shall be considered a special aggravating circumstance in the 
application of the appropriate penalties. 
 
SECTION 9. Promulgation of Rules, Regulations, Administration, and Enforcement 
of this Act. – The PCUP, acting as the duly designated Central Coordinating Body for 
Demolitions and Evictions shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations 
for the orderly administration and enforcement of this Act within sixty (60) days from its 
approval. 
 
SECTION 10. Appropriation. – The sum of TEN MILLION PESOS (Php 10,000,000.00) is 
hereby appropriated to eh Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor in addition to its 
appropriations in the current General Appropriations Act, for the immediate implementation 
of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the full operationalization of this 
Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause.  – If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected by such declaration. 
 
SECTION 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after its complete publication in the 
Official Gazette or at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,