S. No. 
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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 qnd 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 
discharge 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 to 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 countenance 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. 
SERGIO OSMENA 111 
Senator 


Introduced by Senator S. R. Osmefia 111 
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 if enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of 
the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of 
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the State to provide for a more humane, realistic and responsive mode of 
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dealing with criminal offenders. This objective shall be attained, among others, 
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by decriminalizing or declaring as lawful certain offense that inflict no harm or 
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only minimal damage to society and by the imposition of alternative penalties 
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See. 2. 
Offenses Decrimina/ized. - The following offenses are 
short of deprivation of liberty as regards certain offenses. 
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hereby decrirnininalized: 
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a) Simple disobedience to an agent of a person in authority as defined in 
Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code; 
b) Alarms and scandals as defined in Article 155 of the Revised Penal 
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Code except those committed inside public buildings, churches and 
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schools on occasions when there are assemblies or official functions 
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taking place; 
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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; 
Premature marriages as defined in Article 351 of the Revised Penal 
Code; and 
f) 
g) All offenses similar to the foregoing which are penalized by special 
laws or ordinances. 
Sec. 3. 
Offenses with Subsfifufed Penalties. - 
In lieu of the 
existing penalties involving deprivation of liberty for anticipation of duties of a 
public office as defined in Article 236 and reckless imprudence and negligence 
as defined in Article 365 resulting only in damage to property, respectively of 
the Revised Penal Code, the following sanctions shall be 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 
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SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
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SEC. 7. Effecfivify. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication 
in 
two 
(2) 
leading 
newspapers 
of 
national 
circulation. 
regulations and other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
deemed modified, revoked or repealed accordingly. 
Approved, 
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