FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
. 
(:J5!ACf: 4, 
t 
," -~ 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill Nb. _1_1_8_ 
Introduced by Senator GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 99 of Republic Act No. 3815, otherwise known as the 
Revised Penal Code, as amended, solely authorizes the "Director 
of Prisons" to grant allowances for good conduct time allowance 
(GCTA) to. prisoners in. accordance. with. Article 97" aLtha same Act. 
Since the approval of the Revised Penal Code in December 8, 
1930, Article 99 thereof, which is the subject of this bill, has not been 
amended. Currently, jails and prisons in the country are under the 
supervision and control of three (3) government agencies, 
namely: 
1 ) the Bureau of Corrections, which 
has 
supervision and control over National Penal Farms that 
house insular prisoners or those serving prison terms of 
more than three (3) years; 
2) 
the 
provincial 
governments, 
which 
has 
supervision and control over provincial and 
sub-
provincial jails that house provincial prisoners or those 
serving prison terms of more than six (6) months up to 
three (3) years; and 
3) the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 
(BJMP) under the DILG, which has jurisdiction over all 
district, . city, and municipal jails that house municipal 
prisoners or those serving prison terms of one (1) day to 
not more than six (6) months in municipal jails and not 
more than three (3) years in city jails. 
At present, however, only the Director, Bureau of Corrections can 
grant time allowance for good conduct. The Chief of the Bureau of Jail 
Management and Penology has no such authority. 
While insular prisoners are able to enjoy the GCTA with ease, 
city and municipal prisoners, on the other hand, find difficultly in 
availing the same, considering that they are not under the jurisdiction of 
the Director, Bureau of Corrections. It should be noted that prisoners 
are of the same footing wherever they may be confined so that the GCTA 
should likewise be within the easy reach of city and municipal prisoners. 


This proposed legislative measure intends to fast-track the application 
and grant of good conduct time allowance which could only be attained if the 
Chief of the BJMP will be given the authority to 
rant the same, thereby 
decongesting our overly congested jails. 
It is on this note that the urgent approval of t s bi . is earnestly sought 
GORIO B. HONASAN II 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
.,/; .. 
S. NO. 116 
Introduced by SENATOR GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLE NINETY-NINE OF 
ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTEEN, 
AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE REYISED PENAL CODE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. 
Article 99 of Act Numbered 3815, as amended, 
otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code, which provides, 
"Article 99. Who grants time allowances - Whenever lawfully 
justified, the Director of Prisons shall grant allowances for 
good conduct. 
Such allowance once granted shall not be 
revoked." 
Is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"Article 99. Who grants time allowances - Whenever lawfully 
justified, 
THE 
DIRECTOR 
OF 
THE 
BUREAU 
OF 
CORRECTIONS AND/OR THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF 
JAIL 
MANAGEMENT 
AND 
PENOLOGY 
shall 
grant 
allowances for good conduct. Such allowance once granted 
shall not be revoked." 
SECTION 2. All laws, orders, decrees and other issuances or parts 
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
APPROVED,