On 27 September 2024, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament approved on third and final reading the proposed measure that seeks to protect the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Bill No. 32 also known as the “Rights of Internally Displaced Persons of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Act of 2024,” was unanimously approved, with 36 votes in favor, 0 against and 0 abstention.
The bill will be presented to the BARMM Chief Minister to be signed within 30 days after the date of its receipt, otherwise, it will lapse into law. Signed by the BARMM Chief Minister, the law takes effect after 15 days, following its complete publication in at least one (1) newspaper of regional circulation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The Speaker of the BARMM Parliament will send a Certified True Copy of the Act to Congress and the Office of the President within 10 working days from its approval.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed this development in line with its efforts advocating for the protection, upholding, and promotion of the rights and welfare of IDPs in the country.
“As the Philippines continues to be heavily impacted by armed conflict and extreme weather conditions brought about by the adverse effect of climate change, what its people need now more than ever is a rights-based legal framework that protects the internally displaced,” said UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
The proposed Rights of IDPs of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Act of 2024 seeks to ensure the respect, protection, and promotion of the rights of those who have been internally displaced by armed conflict, generalized and/or organized violence, clan wars, political violence, violations of human rights, implementation of development projects, and disasters due to natural, human-induced and human made hazards. The proposed measure seeks to cover all phases of displacement and guarantee the rights of IDPs in accordance with international frameworks and standards such as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Framework on Durable Solutions for IDPs.
“As the region with the highest number of internally displaced persons or IDPs, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region has good reasons to enact a law protecting and promoting the rights of IDPs. Our communities are areas where armed conflict between government forces and rebel groups happened over several decades, and political and communal violence and sporadic skirmishes still continue to happen. The Bangsamoro region is also one of the more disaster prone areas, with recurring floods, landslides, storms, drought, thereby bringing more hardships to our already poverty-stricken communities,” MP Atty. Raissa Jajurie, Deputy Floor Leader of the BARMM Parliament and Minister of the BARMM Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), said as she explained her vote to approve the bill.
Under the BTA Bill No. 32, the Bangsamoro Government will pursue durable solutions to displacement, which may be achieved through sustainable return at the place of origin, sustainable local integration in the areas where they have sought safety, or sustainable integration in another part of the country. Furthermore, the Bangsamoro Internal Displacement Coordinating Council or BIDCC will be created to ensure intergovernmental and inter-agency coordination and cooperation in addressing internal displacement in the region. In view of the links of internal displacement with socioeconomic development, the bill also aims to include IDPs in development plans, with duty bearers crafting early recovery plans at the local level and a regional plan dedicated to addressing internal displacement.
At the national level, the IDP bill is at the Senate, following the approval of the House Bill 8269 (Rights of Internally Displaced Persons bill) in 2023. Four (4) versions of the measure have been filed in the Senate, authored by Senator Risa Hontiveros (Senate Bill No. 594), Senator Grace Poe (Senate Bill No. 870), Senator Legarda (Senate Bill No. 1243), and Senator Manuel Lito Lapid (Senate Bill No. 2488). These have been referred to the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and initially deliberated upon together with House Bill 8269 on 18 September 2024.
A total of 14 out of 15 Regional Development Councils (CAR, II, III, IVA, MIMAROPA, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and Caraga), together with the Province of Southern Leyte have issued their respective resolutions supporting for the immediate enactment of the IDP bill at the national level. Moreover, 16 municipalities and 1 province have also issued similar ordinances calling for the protection of the rights of IDPs. In addition to these, efforts are also being exerted to push for the bills’ endorsement to the Office of the President to be certified as urgent.
This achievement forms part of the commitment of UNHCR under the Sustainable and Empowering Displacement Solutions for Peace (SEEDS for Peace) Joint Programme of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) with UNDP and IOM and with the support of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) and the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD).
***
ABOUT UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
In the Philippines, UNHCR has maintained a presence for over 40 years, working on providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families.
For more information, please contact:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
