Senate bill seeks compensation for wrongfully accused

A person wrongfully convicted of any crime will be compensated for every year he or she spends in jail, if Senator Loren Legarda’s bill becomes law. Senate Bill No. 1409 seeks to compensate a person wrongfully convicted of a crime for as much as twice his or her income before incarceration or P100,000 for each year he or she spent in jail. Legarda said the proposal seeks to indemnify the wrongfully accused person for the loss, injury, and damage brought about by the conviction. Under the bill, the claimant should have established the following by "clear and convincing" evidence:

• He or she was unjustly convicted of a crime and subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and has served all or any part of his or her sentence;
• He did not commit the crime for which he was convicted; and
• He did not by his own conduct cause or bring about his conviction.