ORIGINAL COPY

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 202

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C. YAP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Prisons in the Philippines are one of the worst in the world. It is a conceded fact
that our jails congested. Prisoners overcrowd their small and dingy cells. The sanitation is
downright questionable. Disease outbreaks are a common phenomenon. The living
conditions are unacceptable as food rations are not merely miniscule but scarce, water is
not potable and utilities are either grossly malfunctioning or totally non operational.

What is worst is that the prison system is definitely not reformative. The
government agency in charge is ironically referred to as the “Bureau of Corrections”.
However, our prisoners, whether detention or ex-convicts, after serving time, are neither
reformed nor rehabilitated. There is not much incentive for prisoners to learn and study.
‘Thus, more often than not, after serving time, they are not provided with a real
opportunity to re-enter and reintegrate into free society.

This bill seeks to grant additional allowances for good conduct to prisoners who
seek, participate, or enroll in academic or non-academic learning programs, earning
elementary or high school diplomas, vocational courses, skills trainings or seminars,
college or even post baccalaureate or graduate degrees. It shall also give the same number
of allowances to prisoners who teach or train fellow inmates.

With this bill, the main problems of the Philippine penology system may be
addressed. First, it would result into the decongestion of jails, as the sentences or jail
terms of prisoners may be shortened. More important, it would truly make prisons a
correctional institution. Prisoners would be armed, not just with academic skills, but
moral values, which would really help him when he renters free society.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill is earnestly sought.

Representative


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

202
House Bill No.___

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ARTHUR C. YAP

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCE FOR GOOD
CONDUCT TO PRISONERS WHO STUDY, LEARN AND SEEK
LITERACY SKILLS AND VALUES IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT NO. 3815, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE "REVISED PENAL CODE”, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled.

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Additional Good
Conduct Allowances for Studying Prisoners Act of 2013”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - \t hereby declared the policy of the State to
provide learning and literacy opportunities for detention prisoners and even those who are
serving imprisonment by final judgment, to make the prison system truly correctional and
reformative, and to truly allow detention prisoners and ex-convicts a real chance to
reintegrate into free society.

SECTION 3. Additional Allowance for Good Conduct for Prisoners Who
Study, Learn and Seek Literacy Skills. ~ Section 97 of Act No. 3815, otherwise known
as the "Revised Penal Code ", is hereby amended to read as follows:

"ARTICLE 97. Allowance for Good Conduct. — The good
conduct of any prisoner in any penal institution shall entitle him to the

following deductions from the period of his sentence:


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1 During the first two years of his imprisonment, he shall be
allowed a deduction of five days for each month of good behavior;

2. During the third to the fifth year, inclusive, of his
imprisonment, he shall be allowed a deduction of eight days for each

month of good behavior;

3. During the following years until the tenth year, inclusive,
of his imprisonment, he shall be allowed a deduction of ten days for each
month of good behavior; and

4. During the eleventh and successive years of his
imprisonment, he shall be allowed a deduction of fifteen days for each

month of good behavior.

THE SAME NUMBER OF DAYS OF DEDUCTION SHALL

BE GRANTED TO PRISONERS WHO SEEK, PARTICIPATE, OR

ENROLL IN ACADEMIC OR NON-ACADEMIC LEARNING

PROGRAMS, EARNING ELEMENTARY OR HIGH SCHOOL

DIPLOMAS, VOCATIONAL COURSES, SKILLS TRAININGS OR

SEMINARS, COLLEGE OR EVEN POST BACCALAUREATE OR

GRADUATE DEGREES.

THE SAME NUMBER OF DAYS OF DEDUCTION SHALL

LIKEWISE BE GRANTED TO PRISONERS WHO TEACH OR

TRAIN FELLOW INMATES.”

SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act, or any part
thereof, is declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity
of the other portions.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential
decrees, proclamations, rules, regulations, issuances and enactments of parts thereof

inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


i. SECTION 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its
2 complete publication in the Official Gazette of in a newspaper of general circulation in

3. the Philippines, whichever comes earlier.

APPROVED.