FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILiITINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to expand the medium of Communication by which demands and 
requests for sexual favor which constitute acts of sexual harassments as defined under 
Republic Act No. 7877, otherwise known as the "Sexual Harassment Law". 
Republic Act No. 78//, which was enacted in 1995, is a landmark law providing a 
comprehensive policy and legal framework for the recognition of the problem of sexual 
harassment and penalizing perpetrators of said crime. Since its enactment, there has 
been unprecedented expansion in electronic and telecommunications such x cellular 
phones, text messaging, internet and electronic mail. Data from the National 
Telecommunications Commission shows that as of 2005, there are around 1.4 million 
subscribers of internet service providers and 34.77 million subscribers of cellular 
phones. Such modern forms of communication are widely used today and have been a 
comriron medium of work-related and personal communication. 
Like traditional forms of communication, these new forms of communication can 
be used to convey messages that are vulgar, smutty, sexists and may also be used to 
push for demand or request for sexual advances to sexually harass the recipients of 
such messages. 
This bill amends Section 3 of R.A. No. 7877 by expanding the coverage of sexual 
harassment acts to iiiclude sending text messages, electronic mail, internet and similar 
means of communication that constitute sexual harassment under the said law. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
Y 
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LOREN LE 
Senator 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 'OF,THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE FHILIPHPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE DEFINITION OF THE CRIME OF 
SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY INCLUDING UNWANTED TEXT MESSAGE, 
ELECTRONIC MAIL OR COMMUNICATIONS ADOPTING SIMILAR MEANS, 
AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE 
REPUBLIC ACT NUMEERED SEVENTY 
"SEXUAL HARASMENT LAW" 
EIGHT HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of vepvesentatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 3 Republic Act 7877 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SECTION 3. Work education or Training-related Sexual Harassment Defined - 
Work, education or training sexual harassment is committed by an employer, 
employee, manager, supervisor, agent of the employer, teacher, instructor, 
professor, coach, trainor, or any other person who, having authority, influence or 
moral ascendancy over another in a work or training or education environment, 
demands, requests or otherwise requires any sexual favor from the other, 
regardless of whether the demand, request or requirement for submission is 
accepted by the object of said Act OR THE SENDING OF TEXTMESSAGE, 
ELECTRONIC MAIL OR SIMILAR OTHER MEANS, PUSHING SEXUAL 
ADVANCE OR LURID REMARKS, CAUSING EMBARRASSMENT TO THE 
RECEIVER OR BY THEIR NATURE MAY QUALIFY ASVULGAR, SMUTTY, 
SEXIST, APPEALS TO PRURIENT INTEREST OR MALICIOUS. 
a) In a work-related or employment environment, sexual harassment is 
committed VERBALLY, IN WRITING OR. THROUGH THE USE OF 
TELEPHONE, CELLULAR PHONE, FAX MACHINE, ELECTRONIC MAIL 
OF SIMILAR MEANS when: 
(1) The sexual favor is made as a condition in the hiring or in the 
employment, re-employment or continued employment of said 
individual, or in granting said individual favorable compensation, 
term, condition, promotions, or privileges; or the refusal to grant the 
sexual favor result in limiting, segregating or classifying the employee 
which in any way would discriminate, deprive or diminish 
employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect said 
employee; 


(2) The 'above acts would impair the employee's right's or privileges 
under existing labor laws; or 
(3) The above acts would result in an intimidating, hostile, or offensive 
environment for the employee. 
(b) In an education or training environment, sexual harassment is committed 
THROUGH ORAL, WRITTEN OR WITH THE USE OF TELEPHONE, 
CELLULAR PHONE, FAX MACHINE,ELECTRONIC MAIL OR SIMILAR 
MEANS 
(1) Against one who is under the care, custody or supervision of the 
offender; 
(2) x x x 
(3) x x x 
(4) x x x 
SEC. 2. This act sha!! take affect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in 
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation, whichever 
comes earlier. 
Sec. 3. 
Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act is' declared 
invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in 
force and effect. 
Sec. 4. 
Repealing Clause - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders 
and their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby, 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 5. 
Approved, 
Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulati.on.