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MANILA, Philippines — Ex-House Quad Committee members have refiled measures against extrajudicial killings, offshore gaming, espionage and fraudulent land or identity claims by foreigners.
The Quad Committee, made up of the House committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights, and public accounts, held 15 hearings in the 19th Congress on the illegal drug trade, Duterte’s war on drugs, and POGO operations in the country.
After its investigation, the mega panel’s members filed a total of five measures during the 19th Congress.
- House Bill 10986 or the Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act
- House Bill 10988 or the Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act
- House Bill 10998 or the Espionage Law of 2024
- House Bill 11043 or the Civil Forfeiture Act
- House Bill 11117 or the Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law
Eleven House lawmakers refiled the following bills on Wednesday, July 9:
- House Bill 1628 or the Civil Forfeiture Act
- House Bill 1629 or the Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act
Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act
The proposed Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act seeks to define and criminalize EJKs as a heinous crime with a penalty of life imprisonment.
It also aims to establish an Extrajudicial Killing Claims Board that will provide reparations and monetary compensation of up to P500,000 to victims and their families.
Under the bill, an EJK is defined as any killing not sanctioned by the State and carried out deliberately and arbitrarily by individuals not authorized by a competent court.
It is considered an EJK when committed by government officials, law enforcement personnel or individuals acting under the orders of state authorities.
“Extrajudicial killings defined in this bill as the taking of life without the sanction of a lawful judicial process, pose a serious challenge to democratic institutions and erode public confidence in the justice system,” the bill’s explanatory note read.
“When perpetrators are not held accountable, impunity thrives and the most basic human rights are rendered hollow,” it added.
Duterte’s presidency is most remembered for its brutal war on drugs, which government data said left more than 6,000 dead from 2016 to 2022. Human rights groups, however, believe the death toll is far higher, possibly up to 30,000, because many cases were never properly investigated.
Civil Forfeiture Act
Meanwhile, the proposed Civil Forfeiture Act aims to transfer illegally acquired land and property by foreign nationals to the government.
This follows the Quad Comm’s investigation, which uncovered how some foreign nationals fraudulently obtained Filipino citizenship to operate businesses such as POGOs, despite the Constitution limiting foreign ownership to 40%.
The bill suggests redistributing agricultural land seized by the government through civil forfeiture to qualified farmers.
Non-agricultural land, on the other hand, will be turned over to the local government unit (LGU) with jurisdiction over it, for the development of public service facilities.
“This measure seeks to reinforce existing constitutional provisions, provide for the forfeiture of real property acquired through illegal means, and allocate these properties for public benefit,” the bill’s explanatory note read.
“It also proposes to strengthen coordination among government agencies to ensure stricter enforcement and to prevent future abuse,” it added.”
Who filed the bills
The bills were filed by Reps. David “Jay-Jay” Suarez (Quezon, 2nd District), Bienvenido Abante Jr. (Manila, 6th District), Romeo Acop (Antipolo, 2nd District), Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District), Paolo Ortega V (La Union, 1st District), Ernesto Dionisio Jr. (Manila, 1st District), Rodge Gutierrez (1-RIDER Party-list), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro City, 1st District), Jay Khonghun (Zambales, 1st District), Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District), and Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District).
The three other bills drafted by the Quad Committee may also be reintroduced in the coming weeks.
