Filipinos who were wrongfully convicted or illegally detained may soon be eligible to receive higher monetary compensation.
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel sponsored Senate Bill No. 2920 under Committee Report No. 438, which aims to strengthen support for individuals wrongly convicted or unjustly detained, by amending Republic Act No. 7309, the law that established the Board of Claims under the Department of Justice.
The measure seeks justice for those who have been unjustly accused, convicted, and imprisoned but later released through acquittal. It also covers individuals who were detained and released without being charged, those subjected to arbitrary or illegal detention and released without charges, and victims of violent crimes.
“We live in a country where no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”
“We live in a country where no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws,” the 1990 Bar Topnotcher added.
Pimentel noted that the Board of Claims, established under the Office of the Secretary of Justice in 1992, was created to implement the national government’s Victims’ Compensation Program.
“The time has come to modernize and expand the scope of Republic Act No. 7309, in line with the principles of liberality, generosity and fairness.”
The veteran legislator emphasized that the time has come to modernize and expand the scope of Republic Act No. 7309, in line with the principles of liberality, generosity and fairness.
The proposed amendments include increasing ten-fold compensation for unjust imprisonment or detention from ₱1,000 to ₱10,000 per month and raising the maximum compensation for victims of violent crimes to ₱50,000 or more, depending on incurred expenses.
To make the process more accessible, the bill proposes extending the filing period for claims from six months to one year after release or the date of injury. It also seeks to modernize the system by allowing remote claim submissions, subject to regulations to be outlined by the Board of Claims.
“More than ever, the Filipino people must be reminded that we are a country of laws and not of men. We are neither a kingdom ruled by a tyrannical monarch, nor a penal colony that ignores the humanity of those under our custody,” Pimentel stressed in sponsoring the measure.
