FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUSLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. .1.735 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 5 states that: 
Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, 
liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the 
enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy. 
This bill seeks to implement this policy by imposing higher penalties for people who 
would threaten or injure a member of a government official’s family in order to influence, 
impede, or retaliate against him, either during or after his tenure in office. 
Government officials are civil servants and are expected to observe a higher degree of 
care in their dealings and actuations as evidenced by the existence of various laws which regulate 
their conduct. However, there are instances when a government official is forced to exercise less 
than appropriate behavior, violating laws in some cases, because of fear, not for his own safety 
but for the sakty of his family. 
Government officials and their families are constantly subject to threats, blackmail and 
even violence, to force these officials to act in the interests of the perpetrator. These 
inappropriate behavior or actions do not cease even if the government official is no longer in 
office. Hence, in order to deter these people from interfering with the duties of government 
officers, as well as law enforcement officers, this bill aims to impose higher penalties on anyone 
who would threaten or injure a member of a government official’s and law enforcement officer’s 
family in order to influence, impede, or retaliate against him, either during or after his tenure of 
office.* 
* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
IMPOSING HIGHER PENALTIES FOR THE ACT OF THREATENING OR INJURING A 
MEMBER OF A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL’S AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’S 
FAMILY IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE, IMPEDE, OR RETALIATE AGAINST HIM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Freedom from Threats Act 
of 2007.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
maintain peace and order, protect life, liberty, and property, and promote the general welfare by 
allowing its officials to perform their duties without fear of retaliation or reprisal from anyone. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term - 
(A) “Law enforcement officer” means any officer, agent, or employee of the Philippines 
authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or 
prosecution of any violation of criminal laws; 
(B) “Immediate family member” of an individual means his spouse, ascendants, 
descendants, brother or sister, or any person under his guardianship or any other person 
living in his household and related to him by consanguinity or affinity within the sixth 
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civil degree; 
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(C) “Government official” means the President, Vice President, a Member of Congress, a 
Cabinet Member or any head of the executive branch and the different heads of law 
enforcement agencies, and judges, which includes any judicial officer of the 
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Philippines, justice of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals; and judges of all 
inferior courts. 
SECTION 4. Acts Punished. - (A) Whoever assaults, kidnaps, or murders, or attempts 
or conspires to assault, kidnap or murder, or threatens to assault, kidnap or murder a member of 
the immediate family of a government official or a law enforcement officer; or threatens to 
assault, kidnap, or murder, a government official or law enforcement officer, with intent to 
impede, intimidate, or interfere with such official or law enforcement officer while engaged in 
the performanee of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against such official or law 
enforcement officer on account of the performance of official duties, shall be punished as 
provided in Section 5. 
(B) Whoever assaults, kidnaps, or murders, or attempts or conspires to kidnap or murder, 
or threatens to assault, kidnap, or murder, any person who formerly served as a person 
designated in paragraph (A), or a member of the immediate family of any person who formerly 
served as a person designated in paragraph (A), with intent to retaliate against such person on 
account of the performance of official duties during the term of service of such person, shall be 
punished as provided in Section 5. 
SECTION 5. Penalty. - Whoever violates this Act, or any regulation issued pursuant 
thereto, shall be punished with a penalty imposed in the Penal Code for the crimeis committed 
but the penalty shall be one degree higher and in no case can the penalty be lower than ten (10) 
years imprisonment plus a fine not lower than Ten Thousand Pesos (Pl0,OOO.OO). 
SECTION 6. Sepavability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
jps/9-13-05 
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