RP has no laws banning landmines

The Philippines has yet to pass a law fully reflecting the country’s state of obligation to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which bans the use of landmines and the employment of children in armed conflict.

This was revealed yesterday during the national consultative conference in Manila that seeks to lobby for the passage of IHL-related bills in Congress.

Currently, five IHL-related bills are still pending in Congress: House Bills 1642 and 2557 and Senate Bills 2135 or An Act Penalizing and Defining Crimes Against IHL; HB 2657 and SB 2064 or the Anti-Personnel Landmines Bill; HB 3334 or the Internal Displacement Act; HB 636 or the Compensation Act Bill for Victims of Armed Conflict; and HB 3315 or the Compensation Act Bill for Victims of Human Rights Violations During the Marcos Regime.

The Philippines has also yet to ratify treaties related to the Hague Convention on armed conflict that has remained pending for several years now, according to the conference.

Noting that landmine use had triggered a running conflict between the military and the communist New People’s Army (NPA), the participants agreed that laws must be passed to ban the use of the explosives that maim or kill innocent civilians. — Nestor Etolle