Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill that seeks to increase the compensation given to victims of wrongful detention and imprisonment from P1,000 to P10,000 through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Board of Claims.

The proposed measure also increases the maximum amount of compensation that the board may approve in special cases from the existing P10,000 to P50,000 or the amount that the claimant should reimburse for expenses incurred for hospitalization, medical treatment, loss of wages, loss of support, or other related injuries, whichever is higher.

“While no amount of money can repay the time lost from these victims of wrongful detention, we are pushing for a more humane process to make justice more accessible, compassionate, and equitable,” Tulfo said.

The proposed measure, which seeks to amend 33-year-old Republic Act (RA) No.7309, is among the neophyte senator’s third batch of bills that he filed in the current 20th Congress.

Apart from the increase in the amount of compensation, the proposed measure also expands the coverage of the existinglaw by providing distinctions between those who were “detained” and “imprisoned” but were subsequently found innocent on the crimes that were supposedly committed.

Further, the proposed measure lengthens the period of filing of victims’ claims from six months to one year after being released from prisons and allows its filing through representatives.

Should the bill be enacted, it will benefit individuals like the 81-year-old Prudencio Calubid Jr. who was recently ordered by the Court of Appeals (CA) to be released from Manila City Jail after being wrongly identified as a leader of the New People’s Army (NPA).

The bill complements one of Tulfo’s priority measures, which seeks to grant medical parole to persons deprived of liberty who are elderly and suffering from terminal illness.

Consistent with this is another bill that Tulfo filed, which seeks to establish geriatric specialty centers within the Department of Health hospitals.

These proposed specialty centers will be the main unit for the prevention, treatment, and control of age-related diseases.

The neophyte senator also proposed a bill that will modernize the and rehabilitate the Philippine Orthopedic Center, increasing its bed capacity from 700 to 1,000 beds.

Tulfo is also seeking better protection for minors from online risks, harmful content, and digital addiction while promoting a safe and age-appropriate digital environment.

Under this bill, minors under 13 years old are prohibited from social media use, except for supervised educational purposes authorized by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The proposed measure also provides that 13 to 17 years old may only use social media with verified parental or guardian consent and must only access age-appropriate versions with limited interaction and enhanced privacy.

The Department of Information and Communications (DICT), in coordination with the DepEd, Department of Health (DOH), and National Youth Commission (NYC), will be mandated to launch a National Anti-Digital Addiction Campaign. This endeavor includes school-based programs that will educate and increase the awareness of the youth and parents on the risks and signs of digital addiction.

Last on his recently filed bills is the proposed Bawas Bigat sa Guro Act, which rationalizes the workload of public school teachers, enabling them to focus on their primary duty of delivering quality instruction.

Paperworks of teachers are likewise aimed to be reduced under the bill by mandating a centralized systems for rationalized documents.

The bill provides proper compensation either through pay or service credits for teaching overload and after-hours tasks of public school teachers.

The proposed law regulates trainings and seminars of teachers, prohibiting its conduct during weekends or holidays unless necessary.

For its efficient implementation, the bill ensures that schools are provided with adequate non-teaching personnel to reduce the burden on the teachers.

Earlier this year, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) reported that two out of three teachers are working beyond the prescribed 40 hours per week due to “repetitive submission of paperwork.”

The commission noted that the redundant clerical tasks “not only disrupts instructional time but also adds unnecessary stress to teachers".