It's final: 'Desaparecidos' bill signed into law

December 21, 2012 7:42pm

Malacañang on Friday afternoon confirmed that President Benigno Aquino III has signed into law the bill that seeks to criminalize enforced disappearances.

“President [Aquino] just signed the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Act Disappearance Act of 2012,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to reporters.

The text message came hours after Lacierda himself disputed reports that the bill had already been signed by Aquino, contradicting Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of the bill, who said Thursday that Aquino has already signed the measure.

Republic Act No. 10350, or the “desaparecidos” law, is the first of its kind in Asia.

Under the proposed law, enforced disappearances will be considered a distinct crime, separate from kidnapping, serious illegal detention or murder.

The proposed law imposes lifetime imprisonment on persons directly involved in the crime of enforced disappearances. They are also barred from receiving any form of amnesty. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News