MAMAMAYANG Liberal (ML) Partylist Representative Leila M. de Lima has filed her 3rd batch of priority measures to ensure full respect for the rights of women in state custody, provide additional support for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), prohibit all forms of online gambling, institute a national land use policy for food security and disaster risk reduction, and put an end to political dynasties.
“This set of priority measures seeks to, once and for all, address long-standing issues and a growing menace in our country that adversely affect the lives and quality of service that our government provides for our countrymen,” De Lima said.
Among De Lima’s 3rd set of priority measures is House Bill (HB) No. 2127 or the “Women in State Custody Act” to protect female detainees from physical and sexual assault and other forms of abuse and neglect in the course of their detention or imprisonment.
As a former Justice Secretary and women’s rights and restorative justice champion, De Lima stressed the need to guarantee minimum standards of treatment for women detainees given their gender-specific needs, set mechanisms for proper redress of their complaints and make the heads of the prison institution accountable should they fail to act on these complaints.
A staunch social justice champion, De Lima also proposed HB 2128 or the “National Disability Support Allowance Act,” which seeks to provide two thousand peso (P2,000) monthly disability support allowance to augment the basic income of households with PWDs and supplement the other services and programs provided by the government for them.
“The lived realities of PWDs that hinder the full enjoyment of their rights necessitate government interventions. With this measure, we acknowledge the additional economic costs that PWDs and their families often incur to live independently and participate fully in society,” said De Lima.
Moreover, the lady solon from Bicol filed HB 2129 or the “Anti-Online or E-Gambling Act” which seeks a total ban on online gambling in the country.
Responding to the argument that online gambling provides billions in government revenue, De Lima said “earnings from online gambling are worthless if they come at the cost of ruining Filipino families, mental health of many individuals, the future of our youth, and the moral fiber of our nation.”
“It will also be difficult to regulate online gambling as Filipinos, especially the youth, have easy access to technology and digital applications catering to these games. As to the concern that implementing a total ban on online gambling would likely drive the industry underground, this measure mandates relevant government agencies to conduct an all-out crackdown on illegal platforms and activities related to online gamblings, similar to what we did to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs),” she added.
For her environmental justice and good governance advocacy, De Lima renewed her call for the passage of a comprehensive land use policy to ensure the sustainable use of our country’s land and physical resources through HB 2130 or the “National Land Use Act”.
If passed into law, a nationwide hazard mapping and hazard risk assessment program shall be implemented to determine areas in the country which are prone to severe flooding, landslides, river erosion, coastal erosion, lahar, earthquake, and other natural hazards.
“The enactment of a National Land Use Act is long overdue as efforts to pass this significant legislation already span over three decades. This measure would put an end to illegal conversion of prime agricultural lands to other uses and protect our countrymen from the ill-effects of natural disasters,” De Lima said.
“We must seriously address land use misgovernance and prevent destructive developments and exploitation of land areas to the point of endangering the lives and livelihoods of our countrymen, and undermining our efforts for food security and disaster risk mitigation. Hindi pwedeng magkakasalungat ang direksyon ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno at kanya-kanyang interes ang ipinaiiral sa pagtugon sa usaping ito,” she added.
De Lima, a former Chairperson of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation during her stint as Senator who co-signed along with 12 Senators in the 17th Congress the committee report approving a consolidated version of the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act of 2018, also filed HB 2131 or the “Anti-Political Dynasty Act”.
