A congresswoman has filed a bill that seeks to require lawmakers' approval before any criminal case is filed against them.

Under House Bill 2188, the respective ethics committees of the Senate or the House should have a "a conclusive finding which determines the culpability or non-culpability" of a Congressional member before the complaint can be brought to either the Ombudsman or the Sandiganbayan.

"The conclusive finding of the Committee on Ethics shall be deemed as a requirement for elevating the case to proper courts... Absence of which shall be a ground for dismissal of the complaint," the bill read.

The proposed measure "does not aim to circumvent or cover up issues or salvage a member who has obviously violated his or her oath of office" but to protect lawmakers from "trial by publicity," San Jose Del Monte Rep. Florida Robes, who authored the bill, said.

"More often than not, many members of Congress are immediately persecuted when cases related to the conduct of their office are filed and brought to the Office of the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan," Robes said.

"Without due process, they are presumed guilty not withstanding the fact that such cases could have been maliciously filed to discredit them or are political machinations employed by their opponents vent on destroying them," she added.

Although public officials are subject to scrutiny, the state should also be obliged to protect them from "malicious imputation," the congresswoman said.

In 2015, Robes denied involvement in the killing of a former police official who allegedly knew about the lawmaker's supposed questionable pork barrel transactions.

Robes also authored the bill that wants to declare March 28 as a special national working holiday in celebration of President Rodrigo Duterte's birthday.