SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 
1743 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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SEP 26 P 4 :04 
The Penal Code, Articles 171 and 172 severely punish any person who falsifies a 
document. Despite these provisions, falsification of land titles remains unabated. These 
prohibited acts make a mockery of the stability and reliability of the certificates of title under the 
Torrens System. 
This bill seeks to cwb the practice of falsification of Torrens Title by imposing stiffer 
penalties upon any person who falsifies these documents. 
This bill is a product of the public hearings conducted by the Committee on 
Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws during the 10th Congress.' 
• This bilI was re-filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
SEP 26 P 4 :04 
SENAT~ 
S. No. 1743 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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AMENDING ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PENAL 
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CODE, ARTICLES 171 AND 172, IMPOSING STIFFER PENAL TIES FOR THE 
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F ALSIFICA TION OF TORRENS CERTIFICATES OF TITLE 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 171 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as the Penal 
Code, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"Art. 171. Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or 
ecclesiastic minister. - The penalty of prision mayor and a fine not to exceed Five 
Thousand Pesos (P5,OOO.00) 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: 
I. Counterfeiting or imitating any handwriting, signature or rubric; 
2. Causing it to appear that persons have participated in any act or 
proceeding when they did not in fact so paJticipate; 
3. Attributing to persons who have participated in an act or proceeding 
statements other than those in fact made by them; 
4. Making untruthful statements in a narration offacts; 
5. Altering true dates; 
6. Making any alteration or intercalation in a genuine document which 
changes its meaning; 
7. Issuing in an authenticated form a document purporting to be a copy of 
an original document when no such original exists, or including in such a copy a 
statement contrary to, or different from, that of the genuine original; or 


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8, Intercalating any instrument or note relative to the issuance thereof in a 
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protocol, registry, or official book. 
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The same penalty shall be imposed upon any ecclesiastical minister who 
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shall commit any of the offenses enumerated in the preceding paragraphs or this 
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article, with respect to any record or document of such character that its 
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falsification may affect the civil status of persons. 
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THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION TEMPORAL IN ITS MAXIMUM 
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PERIOD AND A FINE OF FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (PSO,OOO.OO) 
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SHALL BE IMPOSED UPON ANY PUBLIC OFFICER WHO SHALL 
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FALSIFY A TORRENS CERTIFICATE OF TITLE BY COMMITTING 
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ANY OF THE ACTS ENUMERATED ABOVE OR BY CAUSING THE 
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SPURIOUS MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME." 
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SECTION 2. Article 172 of Act No. 3815 as amended, otherwise mown as the Penal 
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Code, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"Art. 172. Falsification by private individual and use of falsified 
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documents. - The penalty of prision correcionai and its medium and maximum 
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periods and a fine of not more than Five Thousand Pesos (PS,OOO.OO) shall be 
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imposed upon: 
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I. Any private individual who shall commit any of the falsifications 
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enumerated in the next preceding article in any public or official document or 
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letter of exchange or any other kind of commercial document; PROVIDED, 
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THAT, THE PENALTY OF pRlSION MAYOR AND A FINE OF 
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TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P25,OOO.OO) SHALL BE IMPOSED 
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IF 
SAID 
PRIVATE 
INDIVIDUAL 
FALSIFIES 
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TORRENS 
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CERTIFICATE OF TITLE OR CONSPIRES WITH THE PUBLIC 
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OFFICER 
MENTIONED 
IN 
THE 
IMMEDIATELY 
PRECEDING 
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ARTICLE IN THE FALSIFICATION OF THE SAME; and 
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2. Any person who, to the damage of a third party, or with the intent to 
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cause such damage, shall in any private document commit any of the acts of 
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falsification enumerated in the next preceding article. Any person who shall 
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knowingly introduce any evidence in any judicial proceeding or to the damage of 
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another who, with the intent to cause such damage, shall use any of the false 
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documents embraced in the next preceding article, 01' in any of the foregoing 
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subdivision of this article, shall be punished by the penalty next lower in degree." 
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SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, 01' regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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