FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill 'No.12 5 3 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The life of a prisoner serving sentence inside a jailhouse can be very frustrating 
and unproductive. For lack of better things to do, some prisoners engage in violent 
acts. 
This bill provides rendition of,community service in lieu of detention for prisoners 
who are serving or imposed senterce ranging from one day to six months and those 
with remaining six months or less to serve. 
The measure provides for the creation of Community Work Camps so that these 
individuals can take an active role in the development of our communities and in the 
protection and rehabilitation of our environment through tree planting, building artificial 
reefs, participating in demonstration farm projects or other livelihood projects. 
The passage of this bill will also help decongest jails and provide for a 
preparatory rehabilitation phase for prisoners before they rejoin society. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE· 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES. 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No.1253 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
i () 
JUL 12 P 3 :21t 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR RENDITION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN LIEU OF 
DETENTION TO SERVE SENTENCE, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE 
COMMUNITY WORK CAMPS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
8e it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. The penalties of aresto mayor and aresto menor shall be executed 
and served by the rendition of community service. 
For purposes of this Act, community service shall include tree planting, building 
artificial reefs, participating in demonstration farm projects or other livelihood projects 
and environmental rehabilitation projects which are part of the program deSignated in 
compliance of this measure. 
SEC. 2. Persons who are sentenced by the courts to a prison term of not more 
than six (6) months and prisoners who have a remaining six (6) months or less to serve 
sentence shall, upon the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior and Local 
Government in consultation with 'the Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and 
Penology in the case of municipal, city and provincial prisoners or Secretary of Justice 
in consultation with the Director of the Bureau of Corrections, serve or continue to serve 
the same by rendering community services. 
SEC. 3. Prisoners rendering community services as provided in this Act shall 
stay in Community Work Camps which shall be established in pursuant hereof 
depending on their good behavior and performance, a part of the sentence can be 
reduced based on guidelines to be formulated under Section 4 of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. The Secretary of Justice in coordination with the Supreme Court and the 
Department of the Interior and Local Government, Agriculture, Environment and Natural 
Resources and National Defense shall issue, the necessary rules and regulations for 
the effective implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 5. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be 
charged to the appropriations for the Department of Justice or the Department of the 
Interior and Local Government as the case may be under the current general 
Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued 
implementation shall be included .. in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
The 
expenses for the community projects will be provided by the line department involved. 
SEC. 6. All laws, decrees, Qrders, rules or regulations, other issuances or parts 
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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