Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f

Quezon City (s pare!) JAN 2073 2016

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 6375

Introduced by Congressman Alfredo D. Vargas Ill

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Integrity of land titles are guaranteed by Torrens System of Registration, it is also
the most effective way of measuring it. The best evidence of ownership of land or
interest therein is the Certificate of Title issued under the System. Certificates of Title
are supposed to be indefeasible and incontrovertible. Persons who are dealing with land
or any interest therein are not one hundred percent sure of validity of the title. The
system helps the surety of the person to the title.

More often than not, fake land titles in the Philippines are fabricated by
syndicates to persuade buyers into acquiring supposedly cheap real estate properties. if
this illegal act continues, our country will be flooded with fake and falsified Titles each
inflicting harm on the integrity of the System, to the detriment of the country’s
economic stability.

This proposed legislative measure seeks to remedy and stop the nefarious
practice of anomalously titling land, amending for the purpose the provisions of Article
171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code, by increasing its penalty, if the falsification
involves a Certificate of Land Title or any Land Patent Application, deed, instrument of
documents in support thereof, reasonably connected with and calculated to cause the
issuance of a Certificate of land Title. In addition, the offense shall be deemed a grave
offense involving economic sabotage if the fair market value of the land as shown by its
Tax Declaration issued by the City of Provincial Assessor or the Zonal Valuation as
determined by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue whichever is higher or the
aggregate value thereof, where the falsification or series or combination of falsifications
involves more than one (1) Title is at least Ten Million Pesos (P 10,000,000).

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

ALFREDO D. VARGAS IIT


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._ 6375

Introduced by Congressman Alfredo D. Vargas III

AN ACT

IMPOSING STIFFER PENALTIES FOR FALSIFICATION OF CERTIFICATES
OF LAND TITLE OR ANY APPLICATION, DEED, INSTRUMENT OR
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT, REASONABLY CONNECTED WITH AND
CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF LAND
TITLE, CLASSIFYING THE SAME AS A HEINOUS OFFENSE INVOLVING
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE IF THE VALUE OR AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE
LAND IS AT LEAST TEN MILLION PESOS (P 10,000,000.00), AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLES 171 AND 172 OF' ACT NO. 3815, AS
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Section 171 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as, the
Revised Penal Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Article 171. Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or
ecclesiastic minister. - The penalty of prision mayor and a fine not to exceed
5,000 pesos shall be imposed upon any public officer, employee, or notary who,
taking advantage of his official position, shall falsify a document by committing
any of the following acts:

XXXXXX

THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION TEMPORAL AND A FINE OF P 50,000
SHALL BE IMPOSED IF THE DOCUMENT FALSIFIED IS A CERTIFICATE OF LAND
TITLE OR ANY LAND PATENT APPLICATION, DEED, INSTRUMENT OR
DOCUMENT IN SUPPORT THEREOF, REASONABLY CONNECTED WITH AND
CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE.
PROVIDED THAT, THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION PERPETUA SHALL BE IMPOSED
IF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE AS SHOWN BY ITS TAX DECLARATION ISSUED BY


‘THE CITY OR PROVINCIAL ASSESSOR OR ZONAL VALUATION AS DETERMINED
BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, OR AGGREGATE VALUE
THEREOF, WHERE THE FALSIFICATION OR SERIES OR COMBINATION
THEREOF INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE (1) TITLE IS AT LEAST TEN MILLION
PESOS (P 10,000,000.00)

SECTION 2. Article 172 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as, the Revised
Penal Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Article 172. Falsification by private individuals and use of falsified
documents. - The penalty of prision correccional in its medium and maximum
periods and a fine of not more that 5,000 pesos shall be imposed upon:

(1) Any private individual who shall commit any of the falsification
enumerated in the next preceding article in any public or official document or
letter of exchange or any other kind of commercial document;

PROVIDED, THAT, THE PENALTY OF PRISION MAYOR AND A
FINE OF TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P 25,000.00) SHALL BE
IMPOSED IF THE DOCUMENT FALSIFIED IS A CERTIFICATE OF LAND
TITLE OR ANY LAND PATENT APPLICATION, DEED, INSTRUMENT
OR DOCUMENT IN SUPPORT THEREOF, REASONABLY CONNECTED
WITH AND CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE ISSUANCE OF A
CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE. PROVIDED THAT, THE PENALTY OF
RECLUSION PERPETUA SHALL BE IMPOSED IF THE FAIR MARKET
VALUE AS SHOWN BY ITS TAX DECLARATION ISSUED BY THE CITY
OR PROVINCIAL ASSESSOR, OR ZONAL VALUATION AS
DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, OR
AGGREGATE VALUE THEREOF, WHERE THE FALSIFICATION OR
SERIES OR COMBINATION THEREOF INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE
(1) TITLE IS AT LEAST TEN MILLION PESOS (P 10,000,000.00).

CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
ARTICLE AND THE IMMEDIATE PRECEDING ARTICLE REFERS TO.
EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP ISSUED PURSUANT TO THE ORDER OF
THE COURT OVER REGISTERED LAND OR THE MUNIMENT OF TITLE
ISSUED BY A GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY FOR THE
CONVEYANCE OF SOME PORTION OF PUBLIC DOMAIN. IT INCLUDES,
BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO ORIGINAL CERTIFICATES OF TITLE (OCT),
TRANSFER CERTIFICATES OF TITLE (TCT) , CERTIFICATES OF LAND
OWNERSHIP AWARDS (CLOA), LAND PATENTS, SALES PATENTS,
HOMESTEAD PATENTS, AND FREE PATENTS.

(2) XXXXX


SECTION 3. If any provision of this Act shall be declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the remaining part or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain
in force.

SECTION 4. Any law, decree, ordinance, administrative circulars not consistent
with any provision of this Act is hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,