HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima has filed a measure aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of refugees and stateless persons by clearly defining their legal status, rights, and obligations.
In filing House Bill (HB) No. 7062 or the “Comprehensive Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Act”, De Lima aims to establish mechanisms and clearly defined procedures to ensure a safe and protective environment for Persons of Concern (POC). POC collectively refers to refugees, asylum seekers, stateless applicants, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness.
“For over a century, the Philippines has turned its rich tradition of hospitality and bayanihan into a lifeline, standing as a global beacon of hope and a reliable sanctuary for those fleeing the shadows of persecution and the isolation of statelessness,” De Lima said.
“By enacting the Comprehensive Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Act, the Philippines reaffirms that the protection of dignity of every human person is a non-negotiable State policy. We move from a tradition of hospitality to a mandate of justice, ensuring that the ‘bayanihan’ we offer to the world is as enduring as the law itself,” she added.
The Philippines is a State Party to relevant global instruments, including the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol, the 1954 Statelessness Convention, the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), the latter being a blueprint for fostering self-reliance among displaced populations.
“Despite these commitments, our current protections rely on fragmented administrative orders and circulars. Consistent with Section 2, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, which adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land, there is a vital need to codify these principles into a comprehensive law,” the Bicolana lawmaker stressed.
De Lima’s HB 7062 proposes the creation of a Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Office (RSPPO), an independent and autonomous body to be attached to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The RSPPO will centralize and professionalize the identification, determination, and protection of POC, ensuring that proceedings are conducted with both fairness and efficiency.
Aside from the creation of the RSPPO, other features of the measure include the institutionalization of essential procedural safeguards to ensure that the pursuit of protection does not result in further harm or victimization.
These safeguards include (a) the principle of Non-Refoulement, which strictly prohibits the return of any individual to a country where they would face persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion; (b) Alternatives to Detention, which affirm that POC shall not be detained solely on the basis of their status and encourage community-based arrangements while their applications are being resolved; and (c) the Suspensive Effect, which provides that the filing of an application automatically stays any deportation or exclusion proceedings.
Moreover, HB 7062 also seeks to promote the rights of refugees and stateless persons to work, access education, and receive free legal assistance.
It can be recalled that as then Senator, De Lima filed similar bills during the 17th and 18th Congresses, reflecting a consistent, sustained and long-standing legislative intent to provide a stable legal anchor for those seeking international protection in the Philippines.
In May 2015, as then Justice Secretary, De Lima also put forth the idea of sending ships to rescue 3,000 Rohingya refugees from the sea and provide them shelters as a humanitarian measure to avert a humanitarian crisis in the region.
“By reintroducing and refining this measure in the current Congress, we signal to the international community that our commitment to human rights is not a fleeting political trend, but a core precept of our national identity and a priority that transcends successive legislative terms,” De Lima said.
“Bilang mga namumuhay at magkakasalo sa iisang mundo, tungkulin nating igalang ang karapatan ng kapwa anuman ang kanyang lahi, kasarian, paniniwala at pinanggalingan. Sa harap ng mga kaguluhan at di-pagkakaunawaan sa iba’t ibang panig ng daigdig, makakamit lamang natin ang tunay kaayusan at kapayapaan sa mundo kung maninindigan tayo para sa pakikipagkapwa, pagmamalasakit, hustisya at pagkakapantay-pantay,” she added.
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