Lawmakers from the House Quad Committee on Friday filed a new bill declaring extrajudicial killings (EJK) a “heinous crime,” thereby providing clear legal standards to ensure accountability of those found guilty of perpetrating such action.
The proposed legislation under House Bill No. 10986 defines EJK as “the killing of individuals without judicial proceedings or legal authority.” It noted that this crime “poses a grave threat to the rule of law, democracy and the protection of human rights.”
“These acts bypass established judicial procedures, undermining public trust in the justice system and violating the basic rights to life and due process guaranteed by the Constitution,” the lawmakers said.
“The lack of accountability for such crimes contributes to a culture of impunity, where perpetrators believe they can act without fear of legal consequences,” they added in the bill’s explanatory note.
The EJK bill was jointly filed by Reps. Bienvenido Abante, Jr. (6th District, Manila); Romeo Acop (2nd District, Antipolo); Robert Ace Barbers (2nd District, Surigao del Norte); Danilo Fernandez (Lone District, Santa Rosa); Jonathan Keith Flores (2nd District, Bukidnon); Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. (3rd District, Pampanga); Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider party-list); Jefferson Khonghun (1st District, Zambales); Gerville Luistro (2nd District, Batangas); Francisco Paolo Ortega (1st District, La Union); Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod); Johnny Pimentel (2nd District, Surigao del Sur); and David Suarez (2nd District, Quezon).
