: fete SENATE °

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) v ORRCe OFF Seon rae
OF THE PHILIPPINES )

First Regular Session y

SENAY 10 WL 19 At0:29°

S.No. “TB 17

Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago iv;
EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘Academic credentials are very important in obtaining employment, a promotion or higher
compensation in employment, or admission to a qualified institution. It is likewise important
when presented in connection with any loan, business, trade, profession, or occupation. Thus,
there is the temptation on the part of unscrupulous people to use or claim to have false academic
credentials in the hope that will get the job, promotion, admission, loan or recognition they seek.
The evil result of this deception is the possible damage to the other party and to the public
Decause unqualified or under qualified people may get jobs, positions or responsibilities which
they are ill-equipped to handle, or recognition and adulation which they do not deserve.

This bill sceks to protect the public from falling prey to other people's use or claim to
having of false academic credentials. .It likewise penalizes those engaged in the issuance,

manufacture and sale of such false academic credentials.'

MiR(AN pei SORS, ited

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* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session

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. SEWATE
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) : SEOF THE Secneraa
OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

s. notbl?

10 L419 AO:

a

Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

AN ACT
TO PROHIBIT THE USE, ISSUANCE, MANUFACTURE AND SALE
OF FALSE ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

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 “Authentic Academic

Credentials Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the general
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act seeks to protect the public from falling
prey to other people's use or claim to having of false academic credentials. It likewise penalized

those engaged in the issuance, manufacture and sale of such false academic credentials.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -For purposes of this Act:
(A) “Academic credential” means a degree or a diploma, transcript, educational or

completion certificate, or similar document that indicates completion of a program of study or


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instruction or completion of one or more courses at an institution of higher education or the grant
of an associate, bachelor, master, or doctoral degree.

(B) “False academic credential” means an academic credential issued or manufactured by
a person that is not a qualified institution, or by a person who is not the qualified institution
which purportedly issued the academic credential.

(C) “Qualified institution” means an educational institution in any that:

(1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a
school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;

(2) Is legally authorized within such to provide a program of education beyond secondary
education;

(3) Provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor’s degree
or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree;

(4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

(5) Is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, or if not so accredited, is an
institution that has been granted pre-acereditation status by such agency, and the Secretary of
Education has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the

accreditation standards of such the agency within a reasonable time.

SECTION 4. Prohibition against Using or Claiming to Have False Academic
Credentials, - It shall be unlawful for any individual to knowingly use a false academic
credential to obtain employment; to obtain a promotion or higher compensation in employment;
to obtain admission to a qualified institution; or in connection with any loan, business, trade,

profession, or occupation.


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It shall likewise be unlawful for individual who does not have an academic credential to
knowingly use or claim to have that academic credential to obtain employment or a promotion or
higher compensation in employment; to obtain admission to a qualified institution; or in

connection with any loan, business, trade, profession, or occupation.

SECTION 5. Prohibition against the Issuance, Manufacture or Sale of False Academic
Credentials. - It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly issue, manufacture or sell a false
academic credential to any person in order for him to obtain employment or a promotion or
higher compensation in employment; to obtain admission to a qualified institution; or in

connection with any loan, business, trade, profession, or occupation.

SECTION 6. Penalties. - Any person found guilty of violating the preceding Section
shall he punished by a penalty of imprisonment of arresto menor, or a fine of not more than Ten
‘Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court, taking into consideration
all attending circumstances. If the person found guilty of the violation is a corporation, trust or
firm, partnership, association or any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment of arresto menor
may be imposed on the entity's resporisible officers, including, but not limited to, the owner,
proprietor, operator, president, vice-president, chief executive officer, general manager,
managing director or officer directly responsible therefore, if any of them are found to have
knowingly consented to such issuance, manufacture or sale. The court shall take into

consideration all attending circumstances.


SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting.
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or isstance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent

with the provisions of this act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,