NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE 
Senate Bill No, 1015
Senate
of ti)C ^fcrelnr})
72 AUG-3 ?6W
RECEIVED BY;.
Introduced by Senator Aquilino uKoko” Pimentel III
AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLE 365 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE,
AS AMENDED
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Under the Revised Penal Code (RPC), culpable or unintentional 
felonies are called uquasi-offenses”. Specifically defined in Article 365 
of the RPC, imprudence and negligence are wrongs done as a result of 
an act performed without criminal intent. This conceptual feature sets 
them apart from the mass of intentional felonies defined in Titles One 
to Thirteen of Book II of the RPC.
According to the Supreme Court in Ivler v. San Pedro1, Article 
365 of the RPC is a substantive rule penalizing not an act defined as a 
felony but “the mental attitude behind the act, the dangerous 
recklessness, lack of care or foresight,” a single mental attitude 
regardless of the resulting consequences.
As such, the evil sought to be prevented in punishing imprudence 
and negligence is the offender’s mental attitude or condition that could 
result in criminal consequences. Although not malicious or intentional, 
quasi-offenses cause damage to properties, physical injuries and even
1 G.R. No. 172716, November 17,2010


claim lives. This mental attitude runs contrary to human duty to act with 
due care and diligence so that no injurious or offensive results may be 
suffered by others.
The State should take more active role in reforming this mental 
attitude or condition. One approach is to amend Article 365 of the RPC 
in order that our laws on imprudence and negligence will have more 
teeth by increasing the penalty of imprisonment. It must also be noted 
that the fines imposable under the same Article were already increased 
in 2016 by virtue of the amendments introduced by Republic Act No. 
10951.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is 
earnestly sought.
AQUILINO ‘♦KOKO” PIMENl
\ ^ 
ENTEL III


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1015
of tl)r
72 AUG -3 P6W
RECEIVED BY;.
Introduced by Senator Aquilino <6Koko” Pimentel III
AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLE 365 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE,
AS AMENDED
Be it enac ted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Article 365 of Act No. 3815, otherwise known as
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the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 1790 and
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Republic Act No. 10951, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
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“ARTICLE 365. Imprudence and Negligence. - Any person
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who, by reckless imprudence, shall commit any act which,
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had it been intentional, would constitute a grave felony,
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shall suffer the penalty of [arresto mayor in its maximum
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period to prision correccional in its medium period]
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PRISION CORRECCIONAL IN ITS MAXIMUM
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PERIOD TO PRISION MAYOR IN ITS MEDIUM
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PERIOD; if it would have constituted a less grave felony,
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the penalty of [arresto mayor in its minimum and medium
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periods] PRISION CORRECCIONAL IN ITS


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MINIMUM AND MEDIUM PERIODS shall be imposed;
XXX.
Any person who, by simple imprudence or negligence, shall 
commit an act which would otherwise constitute a grave 
felony, shall suffer the penalty of [arresto mayor in its 
medium and maximum periods] PRISION 
CORRECCIONAL IN ITS MEDIUM AND 
MAXIMUM PERIODS; if it would have constituted a less 
[serious] GRAVE felony, the penalty of [arresto mayor in 
its minimum period] PRISION CORRECCIONAL IN 
ITS MINIMUM PERIOD shall be imposed.
XXX.
The provisions contained in this article shall not be 
applicable:
XXX.
2. When, by imprudence or negligence and with 
violation of the Automobile Law, the death of a person 
shall be caused, in which case the defendant shall be 
punished by [prision correccional in its medium and 
maximum periods] PRISION MAYOR IN ITS 
MEDIUM AND MAXIMUM PERIODS.
X' X X.
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SEC. 2. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of 
this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions 
and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, 
shall remain in full force and effect.


SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this 
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
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SEC. 4. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
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after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
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newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,