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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 6332

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JOSE L. ATIENZA, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our nation is blessed to have a history rich in stories of our countrymen’s bravery and
selflessness in defending and fighting for our country’s freedom

But among these historical facts we find that some of our great heroes suffered tragic
deaths at the hands of people who have been unnamed till now, and rendering these cases
unsolved.

Examples of these are the deaths of Gat Andres Bonifacio and General Antonio Luna, as
well as the assassination of our modern-day hero, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr
that sparked the People Power Revolution of 1986 -- all of which have remained unresolved
Justice has never been served to those who committed these crimes. The assailants of Bonifacio,
Luna, and Aquino must have committed those acts upon the orders of one or even several
persons. While some of their assailants may have languished in jail for these crimes, the people
who ultimately plotted and gave the orders have remained scot-free for the rest of their lives,
unexposed and unpunished.

This Bill aims to create a special body that shall be empowered to seek historical
accuracy on the infamous deaths in our history. There is a need to enshrine the establishment of a
special commission composed of Filipino men and women of patriotic integrity — noted
educators, historians, and research experts ~ to find out who really killed our nation’s greatest
heroes.

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We need to do this so that generations of Filipinos will know the truth and not be
subjected to hearsay or ‘haka-haka’ on the details surrounding his death. It is about time we set
our national history straight and have an accurate account of who were the persons responsible
for their deaths

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this Bill is highly sought.

Representative
HAY Party-list


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.

6332

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JOSE L. ATIENZA, JR.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPECIAL COMMISSION TO
INVESTIGATE THE HIGH-PROFILE YET UNRESOLVED CASES IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represematives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Historical Fact-Finding Commission Act
of 2015"

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. It shall be the policy of the State to promote historical accuracy in
aid of instilling a proper sense of our national history, serving justice that has long been denied,

and improving our understanding of the realities of being a Filipino.

Sec. 3. Objective. This Act shall aim to put to an end to the unresolved case of the deaths of
historical figures, by using academic and historical discourse to shed light on the issue.

Sec. 4. Creation of the Special Com jion. There shall be a special body called “Historical

Fact-Finding Commission’, created to investigate the circumstances surrounding Gat Andres
Bonifacio’s death. The said body shall be an independent body attached to the National

Historical Commission of the Philippines


See. 5. Composition of the Historical Fact-Finding Commission. The Historical Fact-Finding
Commission shall be composed of the following:

1. Chairperson of the National Historical Commission as Chairman

2. Three (3) members of the academe, of reputable standing in the discipline, and appointed
by the President of the Philippines for three (3) years;

3. One (1) member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, of reputable standing in the Bar,
and appointed by the President of the Philippines for three (3) years,

Sec. 6. Mandate. The Historical Fact-Finding Commission shall be mandated to investigate
high-profile yet unsolved deaths in our country. For the first three years of its existence, the body
shall be tasked to investigate the deaths of Gat Andres Bonifacio, General Antonio Luna, and
former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., after which, the body shall take on other infamous
cold cases in Philippine History

Sec. 7. Approp! ns. The Historical Fact-Finding Commission shall receive an initial funding
from the budget of National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and thereafter the said

amount shall be incorporated in the annual General Appropriations Act

Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of
this act, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, after consulting relevant
stakeholders, shall draw up and promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the

implementation of this Act.

Sec. 9. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid,

the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. Any law, decree, ordinance or administrative circular not consistent

with any provision of this Act is hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly

See. 11. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,