Promise 101: Protection for witnesses through a Whistleblowers' bill and a stronger Witness Protection Program

Status:

The Promise
In the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino, he urged Congress to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill, and vowed to strengthen the Witness Protection Program.

Quote/s
“Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower's Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.

“Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.”

Source/s

State of the Nation Address, July 26, 2010

Related Promise/s
Promise 31: Craft a judiciary modernization plan
Promise 38: Improve conviction rates of prosecutors
Promise 39: Speed up resolution of cases in the criminal justice system

May 10, 2012: News on the death of accused-turned-state witness Alfred Mendiola on Sunday came as a shock to Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista, father of slain car dealer Venson Evangelista. Evangelista said they were not aware that Mendiola wanted to leave the justice department's Witness Protection Program (WPP), or that he would be discharged from its custody. (Continue Reading)

May 9, 2012: The Whistleblowers Association of the Philippines (WAP) claimed that a weak Witness Protection Program (WPP) led to the death of Alfred Mendiola, the star witness in the 2011 Venson Evangelista slay case. (Continue Reading)

May 8, 2012: The Philippine government is taking a closer look at the justice department's Witness Protection Program (WPP) following the murder of key witness Alfred Mendiola. (Continue Reading)

March 21, 2012: The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks protection, security and benefits to whistleblowers.

Under House Bill 5715, whistleblowers will be taken under the wing of a whistleblower's program under the Office of the Ombudsman after signing a memorandum of agreement. (Continue Reading)

March 20, 2012: The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a measure providing protection, security, and benefits to whistleblowers in a bid to curtail graft and corruption in government.

House Bill 5715, to be known as the "Whistleblower Protection, Security and Benefit Act of 2011," seeks to safeguard national interest through the prosecution of corrupt and erring public officials and employees and promote good governance. (Continue Reading)

July 1, 2011: Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, in a keynote address delivered last June 29 in the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Conference in Berlin, said the Witness Protection Program (WPP), through the increase of budget allotment and legislative reforms, was strengthened. (Continue Reading)

February 27, 2011: Malacanang said it will be pushing for 23 bills in the meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). These are new bills or amendments to: The Philippine Fair Competition Act, Witness Protection Program Act, Whistleblowers’ Act, National Defense of the Philippines Act, Land Administration Act, and the Government Procurement Act. (Continue Reading)

August 24, 2010: "To encourage prospective informants and crime witnesses to come out in the open and testify, we are strengthening the Witness Protection Program with a P151 million budget. The 79.8 percent increase of P67 million from the 2010 level of P84 million will support 640 witnesses and whistleblowers." (Continue Reading)