Republic of the Philippines 
) 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Revised Penal Code lists some minor felonies, offenses, and infractions 
which cause little or no damage to persons, property and community, and which are often 
motivated not by malice but by some psychological disorders that should be addressed 
with treatment, rather than with punishment. 
One good example is vagrancy, penalized under Article 202 of the Revised Penal 
Code, which fails to see that vagrants are victims of poverty and the lack of opportunities 
for employment and access to decent standards of living and quality of life. 
Aside from vagrancy are such felonies as simple disobedience to an agent of a 
person in authority, alarms and scandals, refusal of assistance, refusal to dscharge 
elective office, abandonment of minor by a person entrusted with his custody and care 
and indifference of parents and premature marriages. 
In the case of crimes of anticipation of duties of a public office, reckless 
imprudence and negligence respecting damage only to property, the applicable penalties 
are fines, indemnification, restitution, compensation and community service, rather than 
deprivation of liberty. 
This bill seeks to decriminalize the above offenses in order io decongest the load 
of the justice system, allow our law enforcement officers to pay more attention to graver 
offenses, and improve the administration of justice in our land. This measure also seeks 
to give a more humane countenmce on our justice system, which prioritizes the 
rehabilitation of the offender and acknowledges the value of every human life. 
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly requested 
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 


Republic of the Philippines 
1 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero 
AN ACT 
TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BY DECRIMINALIZING 
AND PROVIDING FOR THE IMPOSITION OF ALTERNATIVE PENALTIES 
SHORT OF DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of 
the Philippines in Congress assentbled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
to provide for a more humane, realistic and responsive mode of dealing with criminal 
offenders. This objective shall be attained, among others, by decriminalizing or declaring 
as lawful certain offenses that inflict no hann or only minimal damage to society and by 
the imposition of alternative penalties short of deprivation of liberty as regards certain 
offenses. 
SEC. 2. Offenses Decriminalized. - The following offenses are hereby 
a) Simple disobedience to an agent of a person in authority as defined in 
Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code; 
decriminalized 
b) Alarms and scandals as defined in Article 155 of the Revised Penal 
Code except those committed inside public buildings, churches and 
schools on occasions when there are assemblies or official functions 
taking place; 
c) Vagrancy as defined in Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code: 
Provided, That prostitution as defined by the same Article shall 
continue to be punishable; 
, d) Refusal of assistance as defined in Article 233 of the Revised Penal 
Code; 
e) Refusal to discharge elective office as defined in Article 234 of the 
Revised Penal Code; 
f) Premature marriages as defined in Article 351 of the Revised Penal 
Code; and 
g) All offenses similar to the foregoing which are penalized by special 
laws or ordinances. 
SEC. 3. Offenses with Substituted Penalties. - In lieu of the existing penalties 
involving deprivation of liberty for anticipation of duties of a public ofice as defined in 


Article 365 resulting only in damage to property, respectively of the Revised Penal Code, 
the following sanctions shall he imposed either alternatively or cumulatively in the 
discretion of the Court: 
a) 
Fine 
b) 
Indemnification 
c) 
Restitution 
d) 
Compensation 
e) 
Community service for not more than thirty (30) days. 
SEC. 4. Transitory Provisions. - All cases pending before the courts and the 
prosecutors’ offices involving offenses decriminalized herein shall be ipso facto 
dismissed and/or terminated. All convicts serving sentence herein decriminalized shall be 
released immediately. 
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. If any section or provision of this Act shall be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not affected thereby 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and 
other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are deemed modified, revoked 
or repealed accordingly. 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) leading newspapers of national circulation. 
Approved.