The Mandatory Autopsy Bill: Why it is important

A mandatory autopsy bill has not been passed into law in spite of the fact that as far back as 1999, many mandatory autopsy bills have been filed, which ended up languishing in committees and never got discussed and voted on by the House of Representatives and Senate.

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Now, similar bills have been filed in the 20th Congress, which may end up being consigned to the dustbin of history, again. Senator Francis Pangilinan has refiled his version of the bill (Senate Bill 724) on July 21, 2025. Similarly, in the House of Representatives, House Bill No. 76 was filed by Rep. Bernadette Barbers seeking the same. Here's hoping Congress will get around to discussing the bill in the plenary session to pass it. Finally, there must be a reconciliation of both bills for it to be passed and sent to Malacanang for signing into law.

Why is it important? Autopsies generate real scientific evidence that can be used to identify the identity of deceased persons and causes of deaths, place suspects at the scene of the crime and provide evidence in court.

In many cases of violent or suspected unnatural deaths, no autopsy is carried out to determine the exact cause of death. Without factual evidence, most cases of foul play rely mostly on circumstantial evidence and eyewitness accounts which may be erroneous. It means there will be no justice for the victims, since there is no factual evidence to use in finding suspects and to link them to the crime.