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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. B. No. 
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Introduced by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The State has the authority, under its police power, to define and punish 
crimes and to lay down the rules of criminal procedure. States, as part of their 
police power, have a large measure of discretion in creating and defining criminal 
offenses.’ 
Statistics would show that over the years, there has been an increase in 
victims of “Akyat Bahay”, “lpit Taxi”, “Laglag Barya”, “Dugo-dugo” and other 
crimes committed wherein its malefactors act in an organized and concerted 
manner to ensure successful consummation of their intended act. While 
apparently being isolated crimes, the truth thereof is that the same is being 
committed by organized crime groups, albeit some are merely small scale 
organizations. 
In 2006, Republic Act 9344, othetwise known as the “Juvenile Justice and 
Welfare Act of 2006, took effect. While the same is a good statute aimed at the 
reformation and protection of children at risk, or children in conflict with the law 
and obviously inspired by the positivist theories of criminal law, organized 
criminal groups have taken advantage of the law by employing misguided minors 
in executing their unlawful designs. 
It is thus intended that through the passage of this bill, it will effectively 
define and punish acts connected with the operation, and recruitment of 
members, of street gangs which has been difficult to prosecute in the past by 
reason of the absence of a punitive law declaring the same unlawful, thereby 
protecting the innocent public under the principle of salus populi est suprema lex. 
The welfare of the people is the supreme law. 
Passage of this bill into law is therefore recommended. 
People v. Santiago (43 Phil. 120, 124) 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
Introduced by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT DETERRING AND PUNISHING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND 
OPERATION OF CRIMINAL STREET GANGS, RECRUITMENT OF 
INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMISSION OF GANG CRIMES 
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 “Criminal Street 
Gang Deterrence and Punishment Act of 2009”. 
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms 
shall mean as follows: 
(a) “Criminal Street Gang” - formal or informal group, club, 
organization or association of three (3) or more members who, alone or 
any combination thereof, act(s) or agree@) to act in concert in order to 
commit two (2) or more predicate gang crimes. 
(b) ”Predicate Gang Crime” - any threat or act, or attempted act or 
threat, which is punishable under the Revised Penal Code and other 
special penal laws and punishable by imprisonment of more than one (1) 
year, involving murder; attempted murder; gambling; kidnapping; robbery; 
extortion: arson: obstruction of justice; tampering with or retaliating against 
a witness, victim or informant: burglary; sexual assault; carjacking; 
manufacturing, importing, distributing and possessing with intent to 
distribute, or otherwise dealing in controlled substance(s) or chemicals; or 
other similar offenses. 
SEC. 3. Prohibited Acts and Penalties. - 
(a) Recruitment of a Person into a Criminal Street Gang. - It 
shall be unlawful for any person to use any facility or cause another to do 
so in order to recruit, solicit, induce, employ, command or cause another 
individual to gain entrance to, remain a member of or increase his position 
in a criminal street gang or conspire to do so with the intent that the said 
individual shall participate in any offense described in Section 2(b) of this 
Act. 
Any person who violates the above provision shall suffer the 
penalty of imprisonment of not more than ten (IO) years: Provided, That if 
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the individual recruited, solicited, induced, employed, commanded or 
caused to gain entrance to, or to remain a member of, or increase his 
position in a criminal street gang is a minor, the offender shall be 
imprisoned for not less than five (5) years nor more than ten (IO) years 
and fined at the discretion of the court. In addition, the offender shall be 
held liable for any costs incurred by the government for maintaining and 
rehabilitating the individual until he/she attains the age of eighteen (1 8) 
years. 
(b) Inducement to Participate in Street Gang Crime. - It shall be 
unlawful to employ, use, command, coerce, counsel, persuade, induce or 
entice any individual to commit, cause to commit or facilitate the 
commission of a predicate gang crime in furtherance of or in aid of the 
activities of a criminal street gang. 
Any person who violates the above provision shall suffer the 
penalty of imprisonment of not more than fifteen (15) years: Provided, That 
if the individual induced to participate in a street gang crime is a minor, the 
offender shall be imprisoned for not less than ten (IO) years nor more than 
fifteen (15) years and fined at the discretion of the court. In addition, the 
offender shall be held liable for any costs incurred by the government for 
maintaining and rehabilitating the individual until he attains the age of 
eighteen (18) years. 
(c) Participation in Street Gang Crimes. - Any person who shall 
commit, conspire or attempt to commit two (2) or more predicate gang 
crimes in furtherance of or in aid of the activities of a criminal street gang 
shall be imprisoned for not more than twenty (20) years: Provided, That a 
person who at the time of the offense occupied a position of organizer, 
leader, supervisor, manager or any other position of management or 
supervision in the criminal street gang involved in such violation shall be 
imprisoned for not less than thirty (30) years. 
SEC. 4. Violent Crime in Furtherance or in Aid of a Criminal Street 
Gang. - Any person who, in furtherance of, or in aid of, a criminal street gang, 
commits a crime of violence against any individual, or conspires or attempts to do 
so, shall be punished in addition and consecutive to the punishment provided for 
any other violation of this Act, as follows: 
(a) For murder: by life imprisonment; 
(b) For kidnapping for ransom: by life imprisonment; 
(c) For sexual assault: by imprisonment for ten (IO) years; 
(d) For maiming: by imprisonment for five (5) years; 
(e) For assault with a dangerous weapon or assault resulting in serious 
bodily injury: by imprisonment for (5) years; 
(9 For attempting or conspiring to commit murder, kidnapping, maiming or 
sexual assault: by imprisonment for (5) years; and 
(9) For attempting or conspiring to commit a crime involving assault with a 
dangerous weapon or assault resulting in serious bodily injury by 
imprisonment for five (5) years. 
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SEC. 5. Forfeiture of Assets. - A person who violates any provision of 
this Act shall, in addition to the penalties provided for the violation, suffer 
forfeiture of assets corresponding to the following: 
(a) Any property constituting or derived from any proceeds the person 
obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the violation; and 
(b) Any property, used or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to 
commit or to facilitate the commission of the violation. 
SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of 
Justice and the Department of the lnterior and Local Government shall jointly 
issue the implementing rules and regulations necessary for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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. 
SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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