FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SEN'Y107 
S.B. No. __ 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Republic of the Philippines, being a party to the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC), has expressly bound itself to take all appropriate legislative measures 
to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental Violence, injury or abuse, neglect 
or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the 
. care of par~nt(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child 
(Article 19, CRC). In particular, the country has committed, on account of its accession 
thereto and in conformity therewith, to take all appropriate measures to ensure that 
school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity 
(Article 28 [2], CRC) and that no child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, 
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 37, CRC) 
It is hereby stressed that the need to extend particular care to the child has been 
stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Rights of 
the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 and recognized in 
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In fact, the Declaration on the Rights of the 
Child explicitly provides that "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, 
needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as 
well as after birth". 
The in-depth study conducted by an independent expert commissioned by the 
United Nations on violence against children reports a wide range of impacts on children 
subjected to such violence which include short and long-term repercussions that are 
often grave and damaging. It concluded that "violence may result in greater 
susceptibility to lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive impairments and to heath-risk 
behaviour. Related mental health and social problems include anxiety and depressive 
disorders, hallucinations, impaired work performance, memory disturbances, as well as 
aggressive behaviour. Early exposure to violence is associated with lung, heart and liver 
disease, sexually transmitted diseases and fetal death during pregnancy, as well as 
relationship violence and suicidal attempts. 
The author believes that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his 
or her personality, should grow up in a peaceful environment. The child must be 
nurtured in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding in order to ensure that 
they will grow up as productive and morally upright citizens. 
All stated, there is an urgent need to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in 
the home, in schools, in private and public institutions, in the juvenile justice system and 
in all other alternative care system. And this legislation which ensconced that great idea 
should be enacted soonest. 
MA 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENAIIJ.07 
S.B. No. _~.~_ 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
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PROHIBITING THE ACT OF IMPOSING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7610, AS AMENDED, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SPECIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD 
ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION ACT, PROVIDING PENALTIES 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as "The Anti-Corporal 
Punishment Law.". 
SECTION 2. There shall be incorporated under SECTION 3 of Republic act 7610 
under "Definition of Terms" an additional section (e) to read as follows: 
"(e) " Corporal Punishment" refers 0 the infliction of physical 
or mental violence or blows upon a child as a form of punishment or 
chastisement including public humiliation, verbal abuse, and other 
forms of punishment that is considered abusive, degrading and not 
consistent with the child's human dignity considering his/her 
physical and mental immaturity." 
SECTION 3' Prohibition on Corporal Punishment - There shall be incorporated under 
Section 10; Article VI on Other Acts or Abuse an additional sub-section (f) to read as 
follows: . 
"(f) Any parent or ascendant, teacher, or guardian who shall inflict 
corporal punishment upon his/her child or a descendant under 
his/her care, student or ward, respectively, shall suffer: 
1) The penalty of prision mayor in the maximum to reclusion temporal 
in the minimum if in consequence of such corporal punishment, the 
victim shall become insane, imbecile or blind. 
2) The penalty of prision mayor in the medium to prisionmayor in the 
maximum if in consequence of such corporal punishment, the 
victim have lost an eye, a hand a foot, an arm, or a leg or shall 
have lost the use of any such member or shall become 
incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities of a child; 
3) The Penalty of prision correcional in the prision mayor in the 
minimum if in consequence of such Corporal Punishment, the 
victim injured shall have become deformed, or shall have lost any 
part of his body, or shall have lost the use thereof, or shall have 
been ill or incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities of 
a child for a period of more than ninety days; 


4) The penalty of pnslon correcional in the pnslon mayor in the 
maximum if in consequence of such corporal punishment, the 
victim injured shall have been ill or incapacitated to engage in the 
usual physical activities of a child for a period of more than thirty 
days; 
5) The penalty of prision correcional in the minimum to prision 
correcional in the medium if in consequence of such corporal 
punishment, the victim shall have become ill or incapacitated to 
engage in the usual physical activities of a child from ten to thirty 
days; 
6) The penalty to arresto mayor in the maximum to prision correcional 
in the minimum if in the consequence of such corporal punishment, 
the victim shall have become ill or incapacitated to engage in the 
usual physical activities of a child for a period of one to nine days; 
, 
7) The penalty to arresto mayor in the medium to maximum period 
when the offender has caused physical injuries not requiring 
medical attendance. 
8) The penalty of arresto mayor in the minimum to medium period if 
such corporal punishment does not cause any physical or mental 
injury. 
The teacher who inflicts any corporal punishment as defined in 
Section 3 shall be liable provided he/she is a teacher in the same 
school where the child victim is enrolled and regardless of the place 
and time in the corporal punishment was inflicted by the offender 
upon the child victim. The foregoing provisions shall also apply to 
other school employees and officials whether occupying a teaching 
position or not. 
The penalties prescribed above shall be imposed on the 
maximum if the victim is below twelve years old, and one degree 
higher if the victim is below seven years old. The foregoing 
provisions shall also apply to the custodians of children in the 
juvenile justice or correction institutions. 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, rules or regulations which 
are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or 
repealed accordingly. 
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVITY -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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