Philippines

In July 2013 a bill drafted in close collaboration with Civil Society Organisations and defining certain rights for HRDs was presented to the House of Representatives in Congress. The bill was not approved at that time, but discussions went on.

By 2018  there were two parallel processes around laws for the protection of HRD in the Philippines legislative cameras, one before the Senate and another one before the House of Representatives. Senator De Lima presented the Bill before the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights in February.
Two laws have been presented to the House of Representatives, the 2016 House Bill No. 1617 (led by Representative Zarate) and the 2018 House Bill No. 8128 (led by Representative Lagman; this  draft bill was built upon consultations with civil society organizations –and it was inspired in the Model Law of the ISHR). After several public hearings a consolidated version of the Human Rights Defenders  Protection bills of House Bill No. 1617 and House Bill No. 8128 was elaborated.

In 2019 the consolidated draft passed through three readings in the House of Representatives , but was not yet approved. In early 2021 the law draft is being discussed.

Updated: 06/2021

Philstar
2023
For the third time in nearly two decades, a bill seeking to protect human rights defenders and punish acts of...
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2023
A bill that prevents the government from freezing funds donated to human rights workers has been filed in the Senate...
Internationl Service for Human Rights
2022
“On 17 January 2022, the House of Representatives adopted House Bill No. 10576, known as the Human Rights Defenders Act,...
Rappler
2022
In the Philippines, two proposals on the protection of human rights defenders are pending. As stated in the attached article:...
Philippine Commission On Human Rights
2021
The Commission on Human Rights joins the clamor to prioritize the passage of the Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Protection Bill...
Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner
2021
GENEVA (18 March 2021) – A UN expert today called on the Philippine Congress to prioritise the passage of legislation...
Senate of the Philippines
2021
On the 18th of February 2021, the Bill 1699, or the Act to Promote and Protect the Rights of Human...
International Service for Human Rights
2019
A Bill seeking to prevent human rights violations and abuses against human rights defenders has passed through three readings in...
Senate of the Philippines
2019
On the 1st of July 2019, the Philippine House of Representatives adopted House Bill HB00161 (1-Jul-2019), named “Act defining the...