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Three-day Seminar-Workshop on Enforced/Involuntary Disappearance
The first bill that sought to criminalize enforced disappearance (then called unexplained disappearance) was filed on September 4, 1990 by Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson, Jr. It was entitled
“ISANG BATAS NA NAGSUSUSOG SA ARTIKULO 235 NG BINAGONG KODIGO PENAL PARA MAIBILANG ANG IBA PANG KRIMEN SA PANGANGALAGA GAYA NG AGARANG PAGPATAY O SALVAGING AT HINDI MAIPALIWANAG NA PAGKAWALA NG MGA BILANGGO O MGA TAO NA NASA ILALIM NG PANGANGALAGA O INTEROGASYON NG MGA OPISYAL NG BAYAN, BILANG MGA KARUMALDUMAL NA KRIMEN, PAGPAPATAW NG PARUSANG KAMATAYAN DAHIL DOON AT PARA SA MGA IBA PANG MGA LAYUNIN (AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLE 235 OF THE REVISED PENAL CODE SO AS TO INCLUDE OTHER COSTUDIAL CRIMES SUCH AS SALVAGING OR SUMMARY EXECUTION, UNEXPLAINED DISAPPEARANCES OF PRISONERS OR PERSONS UNDER INVESTIGATION OR CUSTODY OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AS HEINOUS CRIMES PROVIDING PENALTY THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES).
Other bills penalizing enforced disappearance were filed in the following Congresses. The House of Representatives in the 13th Congress approved the Anti-Disappearance bill on 3rd and final reading on May 29, 2006 and transmitted it to and received by the Senate on May 31, 2006. Lamentably, the Senate failed to act on it and its own counterpart versions of the measure.