UN council welcomes Phl bill protecting rights of refugees

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) welcomed yesterday a bill passed by Congress to protect the rights of more than one million refugees from calamity zones and conflict areas, making the Philippines the first Asia-Pacific country to have legislation safeguarding citizens against arbitrary displacement.

“This measure is a milestone for the protection of internally displaced people in the Philippines, where decades-long armed conflicts and many natural disasters have caused massive displacement, especially in the Mindanao region,” said UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards.

The new legislation seeks to prevent displacement and spells out rights during and after people have been forced to evacuate from their homes.

It also imposes heavy penalties against arbitrary internal displacement of any person, including non-combatants caught in the crossfire of internal armed conflicts.

The UNHCR estimates that between January and October of 2012 alone, some 300,000 people were displaced in Mindanao due to natural disasters, as well as the conflict between government troops and rebels.

Natural disasters in particular are one of the main causes of evacuation in the country.

In December, typhoon “Pablo” left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced over 1 million people and affected 6.2 million residents.

“Thousands are still homeless and are in need of humanitarian and other assistance in southern Mindanao,” Edwards said.

The bill, which still needs the endorsement of President Aquino, also provides monetary compensation for lost or damaged property or for the death of family members, with the Commission on Human Rights, an independent agency of the state, having been designated as the focal point for the protection of displaced people.

Edwards said that the bill guarantees the rights of refugees in accordance with international standards, particularly the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, adding that the new legislation is considered as a model for other countries.