Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

nougesiLL NO. 377

Introduced by CHRISTOPHER S. CO and RODEL M. BATOCABE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

“There is an urgent need for immediate revision of all existing substantive laws of the Philippines and of
codifying them in conformity with the customs, traditions, and idiosyncrasies of the Fillpino people and with
modern trends in legislation and the progressive principles of law.”

Executive Order no. 48, Creating the Code Commission,
signed by Former President Manuel Roxas

Signed in 1947, the aforementioned executive order created the Code Commission, which
paved the way for the passing of the Civil Code in 1952. More than half a century has passed, as well
oe thousands of laws, and again we see the necessity of executing the heed of President Roxas in his
order.

‘The words of President Roxas sixty-three years ago are as relevant today as it was then.
President Benigno Aquino, Jr, in his State of the Nation Address in 2010, urged the Congress “to
begin a re-codification of our laws to ensure harmony in legislation and eliminate contradictions,”
keeping in mind the outdated and repealed provisions of some of our Codes that resulted from the
creation of succeeding laws.

This bill seeks to create the 2010 Penal Code Commission, which will perform the daunting
task of the codification of all existing substantive penal laws of the Philippines, in line with the
President's platform of good government and efficient legislation, and to effectively remove
contradictions, redundancies and confusing provisions in our laws. The Penal Code Commission
Shall complete its work not later than one (1) year from the date of approval of this bill, and shall
submit to the President a report of the work undertaken by it together with the corresponding
drafts of the different codes for submission to the Congress.

The bill
Department of
for lack of time,
the swift passage

filed in the 15the Congress and its substituting bill was referred to the
fet and Management (DBM) for a position paper and to other stakeholders, but
rogress was halted at the committee level. fh hghyONall these circumstances,
is bill is earnestly sought.

CHRISTOPHER S. CO R |ATOCABE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo._3'7'7

Introduced by CHRISTOPHER S. CO and RODEL M. BATOCABE

AN ACT
CREATING A PENAL CODE COMMISSION TO IMPLEMENT THE RE-CODIFICATION OF ALL
EXISTING SUBSTANTIVE PENAL LAWS OF THE PHILIPPINES, DEFINING ITS COMPOSITION
AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as the “PENAL CODE RE-CODIFICATION ACT
OF 2013”,

SEC. 2. Creation - There shall be created, under the Office of the President of the
Philippines, a Penal Code Commission to implement the revision and re-codification of all
existing substantive penal laws of the Philippines, and of codifying them in conformity with
the customs and traditions of the Filipino people, and modern trends in legislation and the
progressive principles of law.

SEC. 3. Composition and Structure - The chairman of the Penal Code Commission shall be

an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Law Center of the University of the

Philippines shall serve as the Secretariat. The Penal Code Commission shall be composed of

the Chairman, the Secretariat and the following members:

(a) An Undersecretary of the Department of Justice (DO]);

(b) The Director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or his representative;

(©) The President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), or his representative;

(d) The Chief of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), or his representative;

(e) A member of the academe who is an expert in criminal law, practitioner and/or
professor of Criminal Law for at least ten (10) years, who will be appointed by the
President of the Philippines; and

(© The president of a non governmental organization espousing an anti-crime advocacy
who will likewise be appointed by the President of the Philippines.


‘The Penal Code Commission shall be under the executive control and supervision of the
President of the Philippines.

SEC. 4. Powers and Functions ~ ‘The Commission shall have the following powers and

functions:

(a) To revise al the existing substantive penal laws of the Philippines and to codify thei) 'n
conformity with the customs and traditions of the Filipino people, and modern trends in
legislation and the progressive principles of law;

(b) To call on any official or employee of any bureau, office, branch, subdivision, agency, Or
instrumentality of the Government to assist or otherwise extend his cooperation to the
Committee in connection with the performance of its functions to carry out the
provisions of this Act;

(c) To complete its work not later than one (1) year from the date of approval of this Act;

(a) To submit to the President of the Philippines a report of the work undertaken by it
together with the corresponding drafts of the Penal Code for submission to the Congress
of the Philippines; and

(e) To deliver to the National Library the records and documents and proceedings of the
Penal Code Commission to the National Library for preservation or disposition by the
latter office according to law,

SEC. 5. Existence - Upon the completion of its work and the submission of its report, the
Penal Code Commission shall cease to exist and the services of the Chairman and the
Members of the same and of all the employees working under it shall terminate. Properties,
aside from the records and documents and proceedings of the Penal Code Commission, shall
be disposed of in accordance with generally accepted accounting rules and regulations, The
unexpended balances of its appropriations shall revert to the unappropriated general fund

SEC. 5. Compensation - The chairman and members of the Penal Code Commission shall
recive such compensation as may be fixed by the President of the Philippines, but if they
ure at the same time, government officials receiving regular salaries, they shall serve
without additional compensation. The Chairman may, subject to the approval of the
President of the Philippines and the provisions of civil service and other relevant laws,
appoint such assistants and other subordinate employees as may be necessary.

SEC. 6. Appropriations ~ To carry out the purpose of this Act, there is appropriated out of
any national funds not otherwise appropriated, the sum of Twenty Million Pesos
(Php20,000,000) for the necessary expenses of the Penal Code Commission.

SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved