Guingona files bill to protect rights of internally displaced

Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III has filed a bill seeking to protect the rights of the internally displaced people (IDPs) and penalize the acts of arbitrary internal displacement.

 

In his filed Senate Bill 2368, Guingona is mandating the government to adopt a policy for the promotion and protection of the rights the IDPs in situations of armed conflict, generalized and/organized violence, clan wars, violations of human rights, implementation of development projects and human-made hazards.

 

"Internal displacement is a common phenomenon in the Philippines brought about mostly by long-standing insurgencies, as well as natural and man-made calamities, among others,” Guingona said in the bill’s explanatory note.

 

“Involuntary displacement is a serious social problem that needs to be addressed as it results in loss of lives and properties, psychological trauma, family disintegration, disruption in education, loss of employment, anarchy, and over-all vulnerability, among others," he added.

 

The proposed measure defines "internal displacement" as an "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 to avoid armed conflict, organized violence, violations of human rights, implementation of development projects, natural, human-induced and human-made hazards."

 

The bill enumerates prohibited acts of arbitrary internal displacement as the following:

 

a) Based on policies of apartheid, ethnic cleansing;

 

b) In situations of armed conflict, unless the safety and security of civilians are involved or imperative military reasons so demand;

 

c) In cases of development projects, which are not justified by compelling and overriding public interest and with proper implementation of return, local integration or resettlement elsewhere of affected IDPs;

 

d) In cases of natural, human-induced and human-made hazards, unless the safety 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 are endangered; and

 

g) In violation of the rights of IDPs;

 

h) In cases where there is malice, bad faith, gross negligence or in any manner causes willful violations of the human rights.

 

"IDPs should not be considered merely as 'collateral damage' of armed conflict or other humanitarian emergencies, as each one of us has a stake in human security and development. It is also sobering to note that every person in the country is susceptible to becoming an IDP," Guingona said. —NB, GMA News