Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The proposed measure seeks to protect the general welfare through a more 
pragmatic penal regulation against gambling, which is certainly inimical to public 
interest. As it is a declared policy of the State to discourage and prohibit forms of 
gambling not regulated or sanctioned under existing laws, there is a need to review 
and amend the same to carry out the people’s crusade against illegal gambling more 
effectively.  
This representation believes that law enforcement against illegal gambling will 
continue to be inadequate unless the laws provide stiffer penalties for violations 
thereof, which this bill seeks to provide.  
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
October 20, 2022
1:53 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
RATIONALIZING THE LAW AGAINST GAMBLING AND/OR BETTING BY 
PROVIDING STIFFER PENALTIES, FORFEITURE AND CONFISCATION 
PROVISIONS AND ESTABLISHING A PRIMA FACIE PRESUMPTION FOR 
VIOLATIONS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THESE PURPOSES PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE NO. 1602. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 1602 is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
“Section 1. Penalties. – The following penalties are hereby imposed: 
(a) The penalty of PRISION MAYOR IN ITS MEDIUM PERIOD OR A FINE 
RANGING FROM TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P20,000.00) TO 
FORTY THOUSAND PESOS (P40,000.00), OR BOTH [prision 
correctional in its medium period or a fine ranging from one thousand 
pesos (P1,000.00) to six thousand pesos (P6,000.00),] and in case of 
recidivism, the penalty of PRISION MAYOR IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD 
OR A FINE RANGING FROM THIRTY THOUSAND PESOS 
(P30,000.00) TO SIXTY THOUSAND PESOS (P60,000.00) OR BOTH
[prison mayor in its medium period or a fine ranging from FIVE 
THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) to TEN THOUSAND PESOS 
(10,000.00),] shall be imposed upon:
(1) Any person other than those referred to in the succeeding 
subsections who in any manner, shall directly or indirectly take 
part in any illegal or unauthorized activities or games of 
cockfighting, jueteng, jai-alai, or horse racing to include bookie 
operation and game-fixing, numbers, bingo, and other forms 
lotteries, cara y cruz, pompiang and the like 7-11 and any game 
using dice, blackjack, lucky nine, poker and its derivatives, monte, 
baccarat, cuajo, pagnnguinge and other card games; paik que, 
high and low, mahjong, domino and other games using plastic 
tiles and the likes; slot machines, roulette, pinball, and other 
mechanical contraptions and devices; dog racing, boat racing, 
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car racing and other forms of individual or team contest to 
include game fixing, point shaving and other machinations; 
banking or percentages game or scheme, whether upon chance 
or skill, wherein wagers consisting of money, articles of value or 
representative of value are at stake or made. 
 
(2) Any person shall knowingly permit any form of gambling referred 
to in the preceding subparagraph to be carried on in an inhabited 
or uninhabited place or in any building, vessel, or other means of 
transportation owned or controlled by him: PROVIDED, that i[I]f 
the place where gambling is carried on has a reputation of a 
gambling place or that prohibited gambling is frequently carried 
on therein, or the place is a public or government building or 
barangay hall, the malefactor shall be punished by PRISION 
MAYOR IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD OR A FINE RANGING 
FROM THIRTY THOUSAND PESOS (P30,000.00) TO FIFTY 
THOUSAND 
PESOS 
(P50,000.00, 
OR 
BOTH 
[prision 
correccional] in its maximum period and a fine of SIXTY 
THOUSAND PESOS (P60,000.00). 
 
(3) Any person who permits or allows his name to be used for illegal 
gambling or who uses or permits himself to be used as a dummy 
in connection with illegal gambling. 
 
(b) The penalty of PRISION MAYOR IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD OR FINE 
RANGING FROM THIRTY THOUSAND PESOS (P30,000.00) TO 
SIXTY THOUSAND PESOS (P60,000.00), OR BOTH ; PROVIDED, 
THAT THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION TEMPORAL AND A FINE 
RANGING FROM  FORTY THOUSAND PESOS (P40,000.00) TO 
SIXTY THOUSAND PESOS (P60,000.00) SHALL BE IMPOSED 
UPON A MAINTAINER OR CONDUCTOR WHO OPERATES THREE 
OR MORE GAMBLING OR BETTING JOINTS, DENS, OR HOUSES 
OR WHEN THE GAMBLING OR BETTING OPERATION IS OF A 
LARGE 
SCALE, 
SUCH 
AS 
WHEN 
IT 
COVERS 
A 
CITY, 
MUNICIPALITY,  OR BARANGAY;  
 
THE PROPERTY DERIVED BY THE MAINTAINER OR CONDUCTOR, 
WHO OPERATES THREE OR MORE GAMBLING OR BETTING 
JOINTS, DENS OR HOUSES, OR WHO OPERATES ON A LARGE 
SCALE, FROM ILLEGAL GAMBLING OR BETTING SHALL BE 
FORFEITED 
AND/OR 
CONFISCATED 
IN 
FAVOR 
OF 
THE 
GOVERNMENT. 
 
THE BURDEN OF PROVING THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES 
COVERED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION. ONCE THE PROSECUTION 
PROVES 
THAT 
THE 
PROPERTIES 
OWNED, 
HELD 
OR 
ACCUMULATED BY THE ACCUSED, IN HIS OWN NAME OR IN 
THOSE OF OTHER PERSONS, IS MANIFESTLY OUT OF 
PROPORTION TO HIS LAWFUL INCOME, IT SHALL DEVOLVE 
UPON THE ACCUSED TO SHOW THAT SUCH PROPERTIES WERE 


 
 
ACQUIRED 
BY 
LAWFUL 
MEANS; 
PROVIDED, 
THAT 
ANY 
PROPERTY WHICH HE DID NOT PROVE AS AMONG THOSE HE 
ACQUIRED BY LEGAL MEANS SHALL BE PRESUMED TO HAVE 
BEEN ACQUIRED ILLEGALLY;  
 
UPON THE FILING OF THE CRIMINAL CASE, THE COURT SHALL 
SCHEDULE A HEARING FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE 
PROPERTIES 
MENTIONED 
HEREIN 
WHICH 
MAY 
BE 
CONFISCATED AND FORFEITED. DURING THE PENDENCY OF 
THE CASE, NO PROPERTY, OR INCOME DERIVED THEREFROM, 
WHICH MAY BE CONFISCATED AND FORFEITED, MAY BE 
DISPOSED, ALIENATED, OR TRANSFERRED AND THE SAME 
SHALL BE IN CUSTODIA LEGIS AND NO BOND BE ADMITTED 
FOR THE RELEASE OF THE SAME.  
 
THE PROCEEDS OF ANY SALE OR DISPOSITION OF ANY 
PROPERTY OR MONEY CONFISCATED OR FORFEITED UNDER 
THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE USED TO PAY ALL PROPER 
EXPENSES OF SEIZURE, CUSTODY AND MAINTENANCE OF 
PROPERTY 
PENDING 
ITS 
DISPOSITION, 
ADVERTISING, 
PUBLICATION, AND COURT COSTS; 
 
(c) The penalty of PRISION MAYOR IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD OR A 
FINE RANGING FROM FORTY THOUSAND PESOS (P40,000.00) TO 
SIXTY THOUSAND PESOS (P60,000.00), OR BOTH, [prision mayor in 
its medium period with temporary absolute disqualification or fine of SIX 
THOUSAND PESOS] shall be imposed if the maintainer, conductor or 
banker of said gambling schemes is a government official, or where 
such government official is the player, promoter, referee, umpire, judge, 
or coach in case of game fixing, point shaving and machination; 
 
(d) The penalty of prision correccional in its medium period or a fine 
ranging from FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) TO TEN 
THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00), OR BOTH [four hundred pesos 
(P400.00) to TWO THOUSAND PESOS (P2,000.00)] shall be imposed 
upon any person who shall knowingly and without lawful purpose in any 
hour of any day, possess any lottery list, paper, or other matter 
containing letters , figures, signs or symbols AND OTHER GAMBLING 
PARAPHERNALIA pertaining to or in any manner used in the same 
games of jueteng, jai-alai or horse racing bookies, and similar games of 
lotteries and numbers which have taken place or about to take place: 
PROVIDED, 
THAT 
POSSESSION 
OF 
SAID 
ARTICLES 
OR 
PARAPHERNALIA SHALL BE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF THE 
VIOLATION OF THIS SUBSECTION: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT 
SUCH ARTICLES FOUND IN HIS POSSESSION SHALL BE SEIZED 
AND CONFISCATED IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT; 
 
(e) The penalty of PERPETUAL [temporal] absolute disqualification shall 
be imposed upon any PUBLIC [barangay] official who, with knowledge 
of the existence of a gambling house of place in his jurisdiction, fails to 


 
 
abate the same action in connection therewith;  
 
(f) The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine 
ranging from FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) TO TEN 
THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000.00), OR BOTH, [FIVE HUNDRED 
PESOS (P500.00) to TWO THOUSAND PESOS (P2,000.00)] shall be 
imposed upon any security officer, security guard, watchman, private or 
house detective of hotels, villages, building, enclosure and the like 
which have the reputation of a gambling place or where gambling 
activities are being held; and 
 
(g) ANY PERSON WHO USES DILATORY TACTICS TO HINDER, 
OBSTRUCT OR IMPEDE THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF AN 
OPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND/OR BETTING BY 
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENIES OR BY ANY OTHER AGENCY OF 
GOVERNMENT OR OTHERWISE EXTENDS PROTECTION TO A 
MAINTAINER CONDUCTOR, BAKER OR ANY OTHER PERSON 
OTHERWISE INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND/OR BETTING 
SHALL BE PENALIZED WITH PRISION CORRECIONAL IN ITS 
MAXIMUM PERIOD OR A FINE RANGING FROM TEN THOUSAND 
PESOS (P10,000.00) TO TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P20,000.00), 
OR BOTH. 
 
SECTION 2. Informer’s Reward. – Any person who shall disclose information that 
will lead to the arrest and final conviction of the malefactor shall be rewarded twenty 
five percent (25%) of the cash money or articles of value confiscated or forfeited in 
favor of the government. 
  
SECTION 3. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
 
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. – Presidential Decree No. 1602 is hereby amended 
and rule and regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is 
hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
 
SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,