Cong. Rene L. Relampagos of the First District of Bohol has filed his first two bills in the 16th Congress, House Bill 238, An Act Strengthening the Commission on Human Rights, and for Other Purposes and House Bill 239, An Act Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof and For Other Purposes. The bills were taken up for first reading during the opening session in the morning of July 22, the same day the State of the Nation Address was delivered by Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III. House Bill 238 clearly defines the guideline for the nomination of the members, the qualification of the chairman and the members, the nature of the commission, its general powers and functions, its investigative powers and functions, prosecutorial powers and functions, its monitoring powers and functions, its education and advocacy and its organization and structure. Some of the general powers and functions of the Commission on Human Rights as stipulated by the bill are the following: investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all form of human rights violations; adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure and cite for indirect contempt those in violation thereof or of its lawful orders in accordance with the Rules of Court; provide appropriate legal and preventive measures for the protection of human rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos residing abroad; provide legal aid services to the underprivileged whose human rights have been violated or need protection; exercise unhampered and unrestrained visitorial powers over jails, prisons or detention facilities; establish a continuing program of research, education and information to enhance respect for the supremacy of human rights; recommend to Congress effective measures to promote human rights and to provide for compensation to victims of violations of human rights, or their families; and monitor the Philippine government’s compliance with international treaty obligations on human rights.

On the other hand, House Bill 239, An Act Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof and For Other Purposes primarily provides for the protection of the rights of internally-displaced persons or those who have been victims of involuntary movement or forced evacuation or expulsion. The protection is given during and after displacement, as well as the resettlement, relocation and reintegration of the victims. This Act shall likewise cover arbitrary internal displacement of civilians as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, aggressive implementation of development projects and other man-made disasters, to the exclusion of internal displacement resulting from natural disasters. A similar bill was actually already approved during the 15th Congress but unfortunately, it was vetoed by the President. Due, however to its legislative value as deemed by Cong. Relampagos, he made sure that he filed the bill during the present Congress and this time, making amendments and changes to address the concerns raised in the veto message of the President. Cong. Relampagos has high hopes that by doing so, this will ultimately be made into law. Despite being a neophyte lawmaker, Cong. Relampagos during the 15th Congress was able to enact three laws as the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights. They were the Anti-enforced Disappearance Act of 2012, the Human Rights Victims and Recognition Act of 2013 and the most recent, RA 10530 or “The Red Cross and Other Emblems Act of 2013”. (by Jill Christianae R. Robinson)