SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
HB.no,__3903

Introduced by HONORABLE MARK A. VILLAR:

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The life of a prisoner serving sentence inside a prison camp can be very
frustrating, unproductive, unhealthy or even harmful

In a report of the Philippine Statistical Authority-National Statistical
Coordination Board, in 2010, there were 59,289 inmates in BJMP jails. Of this total,
56,479 or 95.3 % were detained, and 2,810 or 4.7% were sentenced. In addition,
1,147 were in PNP jails on a temporary basis in 2010, an increase of 5.0%
from 2009. The BJMP jails numbering 423 had a total cell area of 50,351 square
meters in December 2010. With an “ideal” jail density of 4.7 square meters per
inmate, on the average, BJMP jails house more than 4 inmates too many. The
national jail congestion rate in December 2010 was 446.1%. The congestion rate is
the number of extra inmates over the jail capacity. Further, the total number of
prisoners in the BuCor penal institutions 35,937 in 2010

More than serving the sentence, what is more punishing to the inmates is
extreme overcrowding which may pose danger to life and health.

The bill aims to decongest jails and provide for a preparatory rehabilitation
phase for prisoners before they rejoin society.

This bill provides rendition of community service in lieu of detention for
prisoners who are serving sentence ranging from one day to six months and those
with remaining six months or less to serve.

It also provides for the creation of Community Work Camps so that these
individuals can take an active role in the development of our communities and in the
protection and rehabilitation of our environment through tree planting, building
artificial reefs, participating in demonstration farm projects or other livelihood
projects,

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

a 70 i


‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
neno,_3903

Introduced by Hon. Mark A. Villar

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR RENDITION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
IN LIEU OF DETENTION TO SERVE SENTENCE, CREATING
FOR THE PURPOSE COMMUNITY WORK CAMPS, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. The penalties of aresto mayor and aresto menor shall be
executed and served by the rendition of community service.

For purposes of this Act, community service shall include tree planting,
building artificial reefs, participating in demonstration farm projects or other livelihood
projects and environmental rehabilitation projects which are part of the program
designated in compliance of this measure.

SEC. 2. Persons who are sentenced by the courts to a prison term of not
more than six (6) months and prisoners who have a remaining six (6) months or less
to serve sentence shall, upon the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior and Local
Government in consultation with the Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology in the case of municipal, city and provincial prisoners or Secretary of
Justice in consultation with the Director of the Bureau of Corrections, serve or
continue to serve the same by rendering community services.

SEC. 3. Prisoners rendering community services as provided in this Act shall
stay in Community Work Camps which shall be established in pursuant hereof
depending on their good behavior and performance, a part of the sentence can be
reduced based on guidelines to be formulated under Section 4 of this Act.

SEC. 4. The Secretary of Justice in coordination with the Supreme Court and
the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Agriculture, Environment and
Natural Resources and National Defense shall issue, the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.


SEC. 5. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be
charged to the appropriations for the Department of Justice or the Department of the
Interior and Local Government as the case may be under the current general
Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued
implementation shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. The
expenses for the community projects will be provided by the line department
involved.

SEC. 6. All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations, other issuances or
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in two (2)
newspapers of general circulation

Approved,