EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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•-i ■'
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Ot t!!C a  . • ' I
SENATE 
S. No.
*19 
J U L l l  
P2 3 9
R---
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
AMENDING ARTICLES l8 o , 183, AND 184 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERW ISE KNOWT^ AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED,
INCREASING THE PENALTIES THEREOF, CRIMINALIZING
SUBORNATION OF PERJURY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
“A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. 
The lying witness can also say as forthrightly and unequivocally, He did it! without 
blinking an eye.”1
Testimonies before official proceedings and sworn affidavits are made under a 
solemn oath of truthfulness. However, it is worrying that the sacredness of statements 
made before legislative, judicial, and quasi-judicial proceedings, and that of sworn 
affidavits are being disregarded, seemingly without fear of the consequences of such 
criminal and immoral acts. The assertion of falsehood, under oath or affirmation, is 
employed, not only to harass and unjustly punish innocent persons, but also to 
persecute political dissenters and government critics.
In the Philippines, the Revised Penal Code (RPC) punishes the act of giving false 
testimonies in judicial proceedings (Articles 180-182), the act of offering false 
testimonies injudicial proceedings (Article 184) and the act of falsely testifying under 
oath in a proceeding other than a criminal or civil case and the making of a false 
affidavit under oath (Article 183).
Article 181 of the RPC states that persons who shall give false testimony against 
the defendant in a criminal case is punishable by penalty lower than that meted to the 
defendant. Article 183 of the RPC provides that perjury is punishable by arresto
1 Lejano i/s People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 176389, December 14, 2010
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mayor in its maximum period to prision correccional in its minimum period, that is, 
imprisonment for six (6) months up to two (2) years and two (2) months.
With such light penalties, a would-be perjurer would not worry, thinking that, 
if convicted, the worst that he would get in jail term is two (2) years, which would even 
entitle him to avail of the benefits of the Probation Law.
To deter the commission of these crimes, it is high time that we increase the 
penalty for perjury by two (2) degrees, that is, to prision mayor in its minimum to 
medium periods, or an imprisonment of from six (6) years and one (1) day to ten (10) 
years. Under this proposal, persons who have been coerced to commit perjury are 
given the chance to be exempt from criminal liability by proving duress and other 
circumstances which forced them to lie under oath or retract a previous testimony. 
This measure also provides that a person giving false testimony against the defendant 
in a criminal case shall suffer the same penalty meted out by the defendant.
The bill also expressly penalizes and increases the penalty of subornation of 
perjury.2 Likewise, public officials or employees who commit perjury and subornation 
of perjury shall be meted with a higher penalty and be perpetually disqualified from 
holding a public office or employment. This is but proper in light of recent instances 
when those entrusted with the duty to see that justice is done are the ones coercing 
and using government resources to manufacture falsehood.
In view of the foregoing, early approval of this measure is requested.
LEILA M. DE LIAiA
2 People o f the Philippines vs Pudol, G.R. No. L-45618, October 18,1938
2


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
O M Q
S. No. 
o  i o
lOff .r Ol li--.' -  
1
T9 JULll P2-39
RECE.'-.Lj
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
AMENDING ARTICLES l8 o , 183, AND 184 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERW ISE ICVOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED, 
INCREASING THE PENALTIES THEREOF, CRIMINALIZING 
SUBORNATION OF PERJURY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section. 1. Short title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Peijury Act of
2019
Sec. 2. Section 180 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to 
read as follows:
“Art. 180. False testimony against a defendant. - Any person who shall 
give false testimony against the defendant in any criminal case shall 
suffer
1. —The penalty ef reclusion tcmpora/, if-t-hedefcndant in-said case-shaH
have been sentenecd to death;
2. —The penalty of prision mayor,—if-the-defcndant -shall have been
scntcnccd-to reclusion temperaho ^ -edusion-per-petuaj
3. —The penalty of prision corrccional, if-the dofendant-shall have-been
scnt-cnccd to any other afflictive penalty; and
4. —The penalty of arresto mayor, if the defendant shall have been
sentcnced- to-a correctional penalty or a finc, or shall have been 
acquitted.
In cases provided in subdivisions 3 and 4 of this articlo,- the offender 
shall suffer a fine not to exceed Two hundred thousand pesos


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(P200,000).] THE SAME PENALTY FOR THE FELONY THE 
DEFENDANT IS BEING ACCUSED OF. PROVIDED, THAT, IF 
THE PERSON W HO W ILL INDUCE OR ORDER THE 
COMMISSION OF THIS FELONY IS A PUBLIC OFFICER OR 
EMPLOYEE, THE PENALTY SHALL BE IMPOSED IN ITS 
MAXIMUM PERIOD. PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT, THE 
OFFENDER SHALL SUFFER A FINE NOT TO EXCEED ONE 
MILLION 
PESOS 
(P 
1 ,0 0 0 ,000.00) 
AND 
PERPETUAL 
ABSOLUTE DISQUALIFICATION FROM HOLDING ANY 
APPOINTIVE 
OR 
ELECTIVE 
POSITION 
IN 
THE 
GOMiRNlMENT 
OR 
IN 
ANY 
AGENCY, 
ENTITY 
OR 
INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
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Sec. 3. Section 183 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to
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read as follows;
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“Art. 183. False testimony in other cases and perjury in solemn
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affirmation. - The penalty of {ar-resto-mayor-in its-maximum period to
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prision cor-r-eetional -in its minimum period-} PRISION MAYOR IN
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ITS MINIMUM PERIOD TO PRISION MAYOR IN ITS
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MEDIUM PERIOD shall be imposed upon any person, who knowingly
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makes untruthful statements and not being included in the provisions of
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the next preceding articles, shall testify under oath, or make an affidavit,
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upon any material matter before a competent person authorized to
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administer an oath in cases in which the law so requires.
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Any person who, in case of a solemn affirmation made in lieu of
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an oath, shall commit any of the falsehoods mentioned in this and the
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three preceding articles of this section, shall suffer the respective
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penalties provided therein.
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ANY PERSON W HO SHALL INCRIMINATE OR IMPUTE
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TO ANY PERSON THE COMMISSION 
OF A CRIME,
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THROUGH 
FALSE 
TESTIMONY, 
UNTRUTHFUL
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STATEMENTS UNDER OATH OR THROUGH AN AFFIDAVIT,
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OR ANY OTHER FORM OF MANUFACTURED EVIDENCE,
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SHALL SUFFER THE SAME PENALTY AS THAT BEING


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IMPOSED TO THE CRIME HE IS IMPUTING. PROVIDED, 
THAT, 
IF 
THE 
PERSON 
RESPONSIBLE 
FOR 
THE 
COMMISSION OF THIS FELONY IS A PUBLIC OFFICER OR 
EMPLOYEE, THE PENALTY SHALL BE IMPOSED IN ITS 
MAXIMUM PERIOD. PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT, THE 
OFFENDER SHALL ALSO SUFFER A FINE NOT TO EXCEED 
ONE MILLION PESOS (P i,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0 ) AND PERPETUAL 
ABSOLUTE DISQUALIFICATION FROM HOLDING ANY 
APPOINTIVE 
OR 
ELECTIVE 
POSITION 
IN 
THE 
(GOVERNMENT 
OR 
IN 
ANY 
AGENCY, 
ENTITY 
OR 
INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
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Sec. 4- Section 184 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to
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read as follows:
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“Art. 184. Offering false testimony in evidence. - Any person who shall
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knowingly offer in evidence a false witness or testimony in any judicial
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or official proceeding, shall be punished as guilty of false testimony and
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shall suffer the respective penalties provided in this Section. IF THE
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PERSON W HO OFFERED THE FALSE TESTIMONY AS
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EVIDENCE IS A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, THE
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PENALTY SHALL BE IMPOSED IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD.
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IN ADDITION THERETO, IF THE OFFENDER IS A PUBLIC
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OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, HE SHALL ALSO SUFFER A FINE
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NOT TO EXCEED ONE MILLION PESOS (P 1 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 .0 0 )
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AND PERPETUAL ABSOLUTE DISQUALIFICATION FROM
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HOLDING ANY APPOINTIVE OR ELECTIVE POSITION IN
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THE 
GOVERNMENT 
OR ANY AGENCY, 
ENTITY 
OR
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INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
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Sec. 5. Subornation of perjury. -  Any person who procures or induces another
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to swear falsely or execute a statement under oath for the purpose of charging or
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accusing another person with a crime or offense and the person suborned testifies
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under the circumstances rendering him guilty of perjury shall be liable for subornation
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of perjury punishable with prision mayor in its maximum period to reclusion
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temporal in its minimum period. Provided, that, if the person responsible for the


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commission of this felony is a public officer or employee, the penalty imposed shall be
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reclusion temporal in its medium period to reclusion perpetua. Provided, further,
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that, the offender shall suffer a fine not to exceed One million pesos (P 1,000,000.00)
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and perpetual absolute disqualification from holding any appointive or elective
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position in the government or in any agency, entity or instrumentality thereof.
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Sec. 6. Exempting circumstances. -  Any person who commits a violation of this
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Act may claim the following as additional exempting circumstances;
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(a) that another person has, by means of violence, threats, or intimidation,
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compelled him to commit peijury; or
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(b)that such other person threatened him with the infliction upon his person,
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honor, or property, or that of his family, of any wrong amounting to a crime or
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to an undue deprivation of his rights through grave abuse of authority.
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Sec. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
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unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
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and effect.
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Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
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presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts
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thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or
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amended accordingly.
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Sec. 9. Ejfectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in
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the Philippines.
Approved,