1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
MANDATING THE DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AT SEA IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The parable of the Good Samaritan tells the story of a man travelling 
from Jerusalem to Jericho who was attacked by thieves who robbed him 
of his clothes and wounded him. While others merely passed by him, a 
Samaritan tended to his wounds with oil and wine, brought him to an inn, 
and took care of him.1 
In the maritime context, the United Nations Convention on the Law 
of the Sea provides for the duty “to render assistance to any person found 
at sea in danger of being lost,” or “to proceed with all possible speed to 
the rescue of persons in distress.”2 Furthermore, in case of a collision, 
assistance should also be rendered to the other ship. Applicable in all 
these scenarios is the need to ensure that the rendering of assistance 
shall be done if there is a determination that the assistance shall not cause 
serious danger to the assisting ship, its crew, and passengers. 
In the Philippines, the fishing boat Gem-Ver was rammed by a 
Chinese vessel near Recto Bank within the Philippines’ exclusive 
economic zone, three years ago. This incident left twenty-two (22) Filipino 
1 Luke 10:25-37. 
2 Article 98, 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 
November 7, 2022
8:05 am
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boat crew members abandoned at sea for at least two (2) hours before 
being rescued by a passing Vietnamese fishing boat.3 The Philippines, 
through the Department of Foreign Affairs, expressed its gratitude to 
Vietnam for the rescue of the Filipino fishermen at sea.4  
 
It is in light of this and similar incidents that this bill seeks to provide 
for a domestic law that will provide the applicable rules of conduct in case 
of accidents at sea. Among others, this bill seeks to ensure that aid will 
come to distressed ships and its passengers by providing for the enabling 
law that will allow the execution and implementation of (i) the United 
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly Article 
98, on the duty to render assistance, and (ii) the relevant provisions of the 
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. Under this bill, all 
vessels, regardless of the Flag State, navigating the territorial sea, 
archipelagic waters, and internal waters of the Philippines, and all 
Philippine-flagged vessels navigating in the contiguous zone and 
exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, and the high seas, shall have 
the duty to render the necessary assistance to ships in distress or to 
proceed to the rescue of persons in distress. This bill also provides 
penalties for the failure to render assistance to distressed ships, when 
able. 
 
With a total of 483 accidents or incidents investigated by the 
Maritime Industry Authority from 2016 to 2020, 81 of which were classified 
as “very serious accidents,”5 it becomes imperative to provide the 
enabling law giving life to the country’s international commitments and 
assure that assistance shall come to those that need it.  
 
Thus, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
 
 
 
 
3 April 28, 2022. Gem-Ver fishing boat crew rammed by Chinese vessel in Recto Bank to get P6 million. Inquirer. Accessible at 
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1589449/filipinos-on-gem-ver-fishing-boat-rammed-by-chinese-vessel-to-get-p6-million (last 
accessed August 7, 2022). 
4 July 10, 2019. DFA Chief thanks Vietnam for rescue of 22 fishermen. PhilStar. Accessible at 
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/07/10/1933571/dfa-chief-thanks-vietnam-rescue-22-
fishermen?fbclid=IwAR0Df0UmPFxElrQ0etMGM0V_5F-16Cu22aizBFYazycMoBBPjS_h2fAqshY (last accessed August 7, 
2022). 
5 MARINA Statistical Report 2016 – 2020. MARINA. Accessible at https://marina.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2016-2020-
MARINA-Statisticsl-Report_for-posting.pdf. (date last accessed: August 8, 2022).  


3 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
MANDATING THE DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AT SEA IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
3 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Good 
4 
Samaritan at Sea Law.”  
5 
6 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The following are hereby declared 
7 
to be the policies of the State: 
8 
9 
a)
The State shall provide for the full and effective implementation
10 
and enforcement of international maritime instruments ratified
11 
by the Philippine Government, including, but not limited to, the
12 
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
13 
and the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at
14 
Sea (SOLAS), that cover safety of life at sea and comply with
15 
its duties and obligations to the international community as a
16 
State party; and
17 
18 
b)
The State shall ensure that unlawful acts committed in waters
19 
forming part of the national territory and those over which the
20 
country has sovereignty and jurisdiction are prevented,
21 
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detected, and penalized to ensure a safe maritime environment 
1 
as well as safeguard lives and properties. 
2 
 
3 
SEC. 3. Scope of Application. – This Act shall apply to all vessels 
4 
navigating in the territorial sea, archipelagic waters and internal waters of 
5 
the Philippines, and all Philippine-flagged vessels navigating in the 
6 
contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and the 
7 
high seas. 
8 
 
9 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
10 
 
11 
a) 
Assistance may include, but not limited to, search, rescue, 
12 
towage or medical treatment, as may be applicable; 
13 
 
14 
b) 
Distress refers to a situation wherein there is a reasonable 
15 
certainty that a person, a vessel, or other craft is threatened by 
16 
grave and imminent danger and requires immediate 
17 
assistance;  
18 
 
19 
c) 
Master or Master of the Ship refers to a person having 
20 
command of a ship; and  
21 
 
22 
d) 
Requisition refers to the temporary takeover or command of 
23 
the ship, with the consent of the master of a ship in distress, 
24 
and the search and rescue service concerned of the Philippine 
25 
Coast Guard, solely for the purpose of rendering assistance to 
26 
a ship in distress. 
27 
 
28 
SEC. 5. Duty to Render Assistance. –  
29 
 
30 
a) 
The master of a ship, insofar as he or she can do so without 
31 
serious danger to the ship, the crew, or the passengers 
32 
onboard, has the duty to: 
33 
 
34 
1) 
Render assistance to any person or persons found at sea 
35 
in danger of being lost; or  
36 
 
37 
2) 
Proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons 
38 
in distress, upon receiving a signal from any source that 
39 
such persons are in distress, or if otherwise informed of 
40 
their need of assistance, insofar as such action may 
41 
reasonably be expected of him or her; 
42 
 
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b) 
After a collision or other incidents of navigation, the master of 
1 
a ship that caused, or is involved in, the incident shall render 
2 
assistance to the other ship, its crew and its passengers, and 
3 
where possible, to inform the other ship of the name of his or 
4 
her own ship, its port of registry and the nearest port at which 
5 
it will call;  
6 
 
7 
c) 
If applicable, the master of a ship, and the ship’s crew and 
8 
passengers shall accommodate embarked persons in distress 
9 
at sea within the capabilities and limitations of the ship. The 
10 
master of a ship shall coordinate with relevant authorities and 
11 
arrange for the disembarkation to a place of safety of persons 
12 
rescued as soon as reasonably practicable.  
13 
 
14 
SEC. 6. Coordination in Rendering Assistance. – The master of 
15 
the ship answering a distress signal shall, as far as possible, inform the 
16 
ship in distress and the appropriate search and rescue service of the 
17 
Philippine Coast Guard that his or her ship is proceeding with all possible 
18 
speed to render assistance to the ship in distress.  
19 
 
20 
In case of collision or other incidents of navigation, the ship 
21 
rendering assistance to the other ship involved in the incident shall, as 
22 
much as possible, also inform the appropriate search and rescue service 
23 
of the Philippine Coast Guard of the incident and the status of the 
24 
assistance being provided by it. 
25 
 
26 
SEC. 7. Inability or Failure to Render Assistance. –  
27 
 
28 
a) 
If the ship receiving the distress alert is unable, or in the special 
29 
circumstances of the case, considers it unreasonable or 
30 
unnecessary to proceed to their assistance, or the giving of 
31 
assistance would cause serious danger to the ship, the crew or 
32 
the passenger, the master must enter in the logbook the reason 
33 
for failing to proceed to the assistance of the persons or ships 
34 
in distress, and accordingly inform immediately the appropriate 
35 
search and rescue service of the Philippine Coast Guard; 
36 
 
37 
b) 
The master of the ship shall be released from the obligation to 
38 
render assistance provided in Section 5 of this Act upon 
39 
compliance with the requirement of entering in the logbook the 
40 
reason for the inability or failure to render assistance and 
41 
informing the appropriate search and rescue service of the 
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Philippine Coast Guard of his or her ship’s inability or failure to 
1 
render such assistance.  
2 
 
3 
SEC. 8. Requisition. – The master of a ship in distress, the 
4 
Philippine Coast Guard, or the search and rescue service concerned, after 
5 
consultation, so far as may be possible, with the master/s of the ship/s 
6 
which answers the distress alert, has the right to requisition one or more 
7 
of those ships as they consider best able to render assistance. 
8 
 
9 
a) 
It shall be the duty of the master/s of the ship/s requisitioned to 
10 
comply by continuing to proceed with all speed to the 
11 
assistance of persons in distress in accordance with this Act;  
12 
 
13 
b) 
The master/s of a requisitioned ship/s shall be released from 
14 
the obligation imposed by Section 5 of this Act upon learning 
15 
that their ship or ships have not been requisitioned and that one 
16 
or more ships have been requisitioned and are complying with 
17 
the 
requisition. 
This 
decision 
shall, 
if 
possible, 
be 
18 
communicated to the other requisitioned ships and to the 
19 
concerned search and rescue service of the Philippine Coast 
20 
Guard; 
21 
 
22 
c) 
The master of a ship shall be released from the obligation 
23 
imposed under Section 5 of this Act, and, if his or her ship has 
24 
been requisitioned, from the obligation imposed by Section 8(a) 
25 
on being informed that assistance is no longer necessary by the 
26 
person or persons in distress, the concerned search and rescue 
27 
service of the Philippine Coast Guard, or the master of another 
28 
ship which has reached such persons. 
29 
 
30 
SEC. 9. Penalties. –  
31 
 
32 
a) 
Failure to comply with any of the obligations provided in 
33 
Sections 5 and 8(a) shall be punishable by a fine of not less 
34 
than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php100,000.00) but not 
35 
more than One Million Pesos (Php1,000,000.00), depending on 
36 
the size of the vessel or ship as defined in the implementing 
37 
rules and regulations of this Act. If the violator is the cause or 
38 
part of the vessel or ship that caused the distress at sea, 
39 
collision or any other incident of navigation, the fine shall not be 
40 
less than One Million Pesos (Php1,000,000.00) but not more 
41 
than Five Million Pesos (Php5,000,000.00), depending on the 
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7 
 
size of the vessel or ship to be defined in the implementing rules 
1 
and regulations of this Act; 
2 
 
3 
b) 
If the failure to render assistance as provided in Sections 5 and 
4 
8(a) is committed within internal waters, archipelagic waters or 
5 
territorial sea, an additional penalty of imprisonment of not less 
6 
than six (6) months but not more than one (1) year shall be 
7 
imposed solidarily on the shipowner, master, and/or their 
8 
representative/s. If the violator is the cause or part of the ship 
9 
that caused the distress at sea, collision or any other incident 
10 
of navigation, an additional penalty of imprisonment of not less 
11 
than one (1) year and one (1) day but not more than two (2) 
12 
years shall be imposed; 
13 
 
14 
c) 
Repeat offenders or violators shall be dealt with the maximum 
15 
penalties provided herein; 
16 
 
17 
d) 
No foreign national shall be deported without the payment of 
18 
the fines and/or service of sentence imposed by the court 
19 
provided herein; and 
20 
 
21 
e) 
The penalties provided herein is without prejudice to the 
22 
disciplinary or administrative proceedings that may be 
23 
conducted against the master of the ship or any other person in 
24 
the service of the ship, leading to either the revocation or 
25 
suspension of his or her license or certificate of competence, 
26 
pursuant to relevant laws, rules and regulations.  
27 
 
28 
SEC. 10. Jurisdiction and Venue. – The criminal action for failure 
29 
to render assistance as provided in Sections 5 and 8(a) in relation to 
30 
Section 8 shall be instituted and tried in any of the following venues: 
31 
 
32 
a) 
The Regional Trial Court of the city or municipality nearest to 
33 
the place or maritime zone where the crime was committed; 
34 
 
35 
b) 
The Regional Trial Court of the city or municipality which is the 
36 
first port of entry of the ship under the command of a master or 
37 
officer of the ship who committed the crime; or 
38 
 
39 
c) 
The Regional Trial Court of Manila. 
40 
 
41 
SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety 
42 
(90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the PCG, in coordination with 
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8 
 
concerned agencies, and upon consultation with relevant stakeholders, 
1 
shall formulate the rules and regulations for the effective implementation 
2 
of this Act. 
3 
 
4 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, 
5 
executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or 
6 
parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, 
7 
superseded or modified accordingly.  
8 
 
9 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. – Any portion or provision of this Act 
10 
that may be declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect 
11 
of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof, as long as such remaining 
12 
portions or provisions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
13 
 
14 
SEC. 14. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
15 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers 
16 
of general circulation. 
17 
 
18 
Approved, 
19