Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has refiled a legislative measure granting a monthly hazard pay to public prosecutors who confront life-threatening dangers during their official duties.

"Prosecutors are tasked with investigating and prosecuting cases that involve national security, illegal drugs, terrorism, and notorious criminals," Romualdez stated, emphasizing the perilous nature of their work.

Highlighting the risks prosecutors face, Romualdez noted that many have received death threats and some have even been killed in the line of duty over the past decade, with at least 13 fatalities recorded. As a law graduate of the University of the Philippines and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), Romualdez underscored the critical role of public prosecutors in upholding the rule of law and safeguarding citizens.

House Bill 2664 proposes a monthly hazard pay of PHP 5,000 for prosecutors engaged in particularly hazardous tasks such as inquest proceedings, preliminary investigations, and prosecutions related to terrorism, illegal drugs, graft and corruption, money laundering, and other high-risk offenses.

The hazard pay is designed to be tax-exempt and will not reduce any existing benefits enjoyed by prosecutors. The bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to promulgate the implementing rules within 60 days following the law's enactment.

Initial funding will be sourced from the current DOJ budget, with subsequent allocations incorporated into the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). Additionally, Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre from the Tingog party-list are co-authors of the measure.

The House of Representatives had previously approved a similar bill on its third and final reading during the 19th Congress, signaling strong legislative support for hazard pay benefits to public prosecutors involved in high-risk cases.