SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
SENATE 
, 
S.B. No.--.5.27 
~ntroduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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This bill seeks to expand the medium of communication by which demands and requests for 
sexual favors constituting acts of sexual harassment, as defined under RA 7877, otherwise 
known as the "Sexual Harassment Law". Said law, which was enacted in 1995, is a landmark 
law providing' a comprehensive policy and legal framework for the recognition of the 
problem of sexual harassment and penalizing perpetrators of said crime. Since its enactment 
almost 15 years ago, there has been an unprecedented expansion in electronic and 
telecommunications such as cellular phones, text messaging, internet and electronic mail. 
Data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) shows that as of 2005, there 
are around 1.4 million subscribers of internet services and 34.77 million subscribers of 
telecommunication services. Such modern forms of communication are widely used today 
and have been a common medium of work-related and personal communication. 
Like traditional forms of communication, these new forms of communication can be used to 
convey messages that are vulgar, smutty, sexist as well as push for, demand or request for 
sexual favors. These messages, in whatever means they are communicated, sexually harass 
the recipients of the same. 
This bill amends Section 3 of RA 7877 by expanding the co'Verage of sexual harassment acts to 
include sending SMS messages, electronic mail, internet chat and other similar means of 
conveying messages via electronic communication that constitute sexual harassment under 
the said law. 
In vi~w of the foregoing, the immediate' passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
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Senator, 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
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First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.B.No.~7 
Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA,·· 
AN ACT 
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF THE DEFINITION OF THE CRIME OF 
SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY INCLUDING UNWANTED TEXT MESSAGES, 
ELECTRONIC MAIL OR COMMUNICATIONS ADOPTING SIMILAR MEANS, 
AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SEVENTY EIGHT 
HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN, OTHERWISE KNOWN ,AS THE "SEXUAL 
HARASSMENT LAW" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:. 
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SECTION 1. Section 3 Republic Act 7877 is hereby amended to read a~ follows: 
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"SECTION 3. Work education or Training-related Sexual Harassment Defined - Work, 
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education ~r training sexual harassment is committed by an employer, employee, 
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manager, supervisor, agent of the employer, teacher, instructor, professor, coach, 
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trainor, or any other person who, having authority, influence or moral ascendancy over 
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another in a work, training, or education environment, demands, requests or otherwise 
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requires any sexual favor from the other, regardless of whether the demand, request, or 
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requirement for submission is accepted by the object of said ActOR THE SENDING OF 
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TEXT MESSAGES, ELECTRONIC MAIL OR OTHER SIMILAR MEANS, MAKING 
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SEXUAL ADVANCES OR LURID REMARKS, CAUSING EMBARRASSMENT TO THE 
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RECEIVER OR BY THEIR NATURE MAY QUALIFY ASVULGAR, SMUTTY, SEXIST, 
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OBSCENE OR MALICIOUS. 
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15' a) In a work-related or employment environment, sexual harassment is committed 
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VERBALLY, IN WRITING OR THROUGH THE USE OF A TELEPHONE, CELLULAR 
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PHONE, FAX MACHINE, ELECTRONIC MAIL OR OTHER SIMILAR MEANS when: 
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(1) The sexual favor is made as a condition in the hiring or in the employment, re-
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employment or continued employment of said individual, or in granting said 
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individual favorable compensation, term, condition, promotions, or privileges; or 
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the r~fusal to grant the sexual favor result in limiting, segregating or classifying 
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the employee ,which in any way would, discriminate, deprive or diminish 
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employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect said employe/e; 
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(2) The above acts would impair the employee's right's or privileges under existing 
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labor laws; or 
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(3) The above acts would result in an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment 
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for the employee. 
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(b) In ar;t education or training environment, sexual harassment is committed 
12 ,THROUGJ-I.ORAL OR WRITTEN MEANS, OR WITH THE USE OF A TELEPHONE, 
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CELLULAR PHONE, FAX MACHINE, ELECTRONIC MAIL OR OTHER SIMILAR 
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MEANS 
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(1) Against one who is under the care, custody or supervision of the offender; 
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(2) xxx 
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(3) x x x 
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(4) xxx 
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SECTION 2. Effectivity Clause. This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
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circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
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SECTION 3. Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, 
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the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
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effect. 
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SECTION 4. Rep~aling Clause - All laws, preSidential decrees, executivJ orders and 
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their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act lare hereby, 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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Approved, 
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