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On January 23, 2024, Republican of the Philippines House of Representatives approved the House Bill No. 9571 of the 19th Congress on the third and final reading. The Bill, also known as the Chemical Weapons Prohibition Act, establishes the legislative framework for the State to conform with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which the country is a signatory.
Application Scope
The provision of this Act shall apply to all persons within or outside of the Philippines and persons on board vessels and aircrafts registered in, belonging to, or in possession of the Philippines, if the prohibited acts are:
committed by or against a Philippine citizen, or by a partnership, cooperation, association or any judicial person, which is owned/controlled by one or more Philippine citizens
committed against any property owner, leased, or used by the Philippines or by any of its departments, agencies, or instrumentalities
Prohibitions
Under the Act, it is prohibited to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, transfer, or use any chemical weapons. Other prohibited activities include engaging in any military preparations to use a chemical weapon, using a riot control agent as a method of warfare, and exporting/importing Schedule 1 chemicals to or from a non-Party State, etc.
Competent Authority
The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) shall be designated as the Philippine National Authority on the Chemical Weapons Convention (PNA-CWC) to effectively liaise with the OPCW and other signatories. To perform functions in implementing the provisions of the Act and the Convention, PNA-CWC will develop rules and regulations concerning the production, processing, consumption, import/export, use and disposal of scheduled chemicals and facilities, conduct and facilitate national inspections and international inspections by OPCW inspectors, submit annual declarations to the OPCW on scheduled chemicals and facilities, etc.
PNA-CWC shall also periodically update the scheduled chemicals listed in Schedule 1, Schedule 2, or Schedule 3 to align with the Convention.
Other highlights of the Act are summarized below:
Provide penalties and sanctions for criminal and administrative violations
Provide the mechanisms for the declaration, verification and inspection of toxic chemicals and their precursors
Establish the terms and conditions on international legal cooperation and assistance
The House Bill can be accessed here.
