LEADERS of the House Quad Committee in the 19th Congress on Wednesday refiled a landmark measure seeking to classify extrajudicial killings (EJKs) as heinous crimes, with the goal of delivering long-overdue justice for victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial “war on drugs.”
House Bill (HB) No. 1629 is jointly authored by Reps. David “Jay-jay” Suarez (Quezon, 2nd District), Bienvenido Abante Jr. (Manila, 6th District), Romeo Acop (Antipolo, 2nd District), Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District), Paolo Ortega V (La Union, 1st District), Ernesto Dionisio Jr. (Manila, 1st District), Rodge Gutierrez (1-RIDER Party-list), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro City, 1st District), Jay Khonghun (Zambales, 1st District), Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District), and Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District).
Ortega, Abante, Luistro, Khonghun, Adiong, Dionisio and Suan personally took part in the filing of the bill.
The measure was first filed during the 19th Congress as an offshoot of the Quad Comm’s investigation into unlawful killings committed outside the justice system.
The bill defines EJK as the taking of life without the sanction of lawful judicial process and imposes life imprisonment on public officials, state agents, or any person acting under state authority who commits or orders such killings.
“Extrajudicial killings defined in this bill as the taking of life without the sanction of a lawful judicial process, pose a serious challenge to democratic institutions and erode public confidence in the justice system,” the authors stated in the bill’s explanatory note.
“When perpetrators are not held accountable, impunity thrives and the most basic human rights are rendered hollow,” they added.
The measure responds directly to widespread killings tied to Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign, which, according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), led to 846 investigated deaths between 2016 and 2022. Of these, 577 were attributed to law enforcement agents, while 269 were linked to unknown assailants and other actors.
“These protections are meaningless if violations committed outside the justice system go unpunished. The State has a legal and moral duty to prevent such abuses and respond decisively when they occur,” the lawmakers said.
Under the proposed Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act, senior military or police officials who instruct subordinates to carry out EJKs will be held equally liable.
The bill also establishes the Extrajudicial Killings Claims Board under the CHR to process and approve monetary and non-monetary reparations for victims’ families.
“This measure proposes to explicitly define and criminalize EJK, ensuring that all individuals, whether public officials or private actors, who commit, order, or permit such killings can be prosecuted and penalized accordingly,” the authors said.
“By codifying EJK as a distinct and punishable offense, the bill intends to provide a strong legal foundation for addressing such violations through proper investigative and judicial processes,” they added.
Victims’ families may receive compensation ranging from P250,000 to P500,000, depending on the circumstances of each case.
Agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development will also be mandated to provide psychosocial and educational support.
“While financial compensation can never fully restore what has been lost, it serves as a modest form of justice and a recognition of the harm inflicted,” the lawmakers said.
“More importantly, this measure will help build a culture of accountability and demonstrate that the State does not condone killings committed outside legal boundaries,” they added.
Public officials may also be presumed administratively negligent if EJK cases increase in their jurisdiction despite the receipt of peace and order or intelligence funds. Preventive suspension is allowed during investigation.
The bill affirms the Philippines’ commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which obligates state parties to protect the right to life and prevent arbitrary killings.
“This measure affirms the country’s commitment to international human rights obligations. The swift enactment of this bill is strongly urged,” the Quad Comm leaders said.
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