FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
7 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to increase the penalties on illegal gambling amending for 
the purpose Presidential Decree No. 1602 entitled, "Prescribing Stiffer Penalties 
on Illegal Gambling." 
The proliferation of illegal gambling activities throughout the country has 
been observed to be constantly on the rise and along with it, social ills such as 
drug addiction, crimes against person and property, and broken family relations. 
Illegal gambling is directly or indirectly, perceived to be the reason why 
said social ills abound. Drug users, alcoholics, and similar deviants resort to 
gambling to support their addicting vices only to realize later that they are deep in 
debt dueto gambling losses. Their predicament leads them to resort to crime as a 
means of acquiring fast money thereby threatening the peace and order of our 
society. 
The penalties imposed by present laws have become inadequate or 
obsolete to discourage, if not stop, these noxious activities. The impossible 
penalties on illegal gambling are already impractical, ineffective, and 
unresponsive to the present norms of conduct and behavior of society because 
laws on the matter were enacted more than two decades ago. 
The penalties for illegal gambling must be increased to make it more 
effective in stopping this social menace which has fostered wrong values and 
false among our countrymen, as well as dissipated the much needed energy and 
resources of the people. 
In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this measure is 
earnestly enough. 
MAN YVIL AR ? 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHlLlPPlNES ) 
First Regular Session 
~~ 
~ 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
AN ACT PROVIDING STIFFER PENALTIES ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NUMBERED 
SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND TWO, AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION I. 
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 1602 
entitled, “Prescribing Stiffer Penalties on Illegal Gambling” is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
“SEC.1 Penalties. - The following penalties are hereby 
(a) The Penalty of prison correccional in its (medium) 
MAXIMUM period or a fine ranging from (one thousand to six 
thousand) FIFTY THOUSAND (P50,OOO.OO) TO ONE HUNDRED 
THOUSAND (PlO0,OOO.OO) PESOS OR BOTH IMPRISONMENT 
AND FINE, and in case of recidivism, the penalty of prision mayor 
in its (medium) MAXIMUM! period or a fine ranging from (five 
thousand to ten thousand) NINETY THOUSAND (P90,OOO.OO) TO 
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P150,OOO.OO) OR 
BOTH IMPRISONMENT AND FINE shall be imposed upon: 
(2) Any person who shall knowingly permit any form of gambling 
referred to in the preceding sub-paragraph to be carried on in an 
inhabited or uninhabited place or in any building, vessel or other 
means of transportation owned or controlled by him. If the place 
where gambling is carried on has a reputation of a gambling place 
or that prohibited gambling is frequently carried on therein, or the 
place is a public or government building or barangay hall, the 
malefactor shall be punished by prislon (correccionaD MAYOR in 
its (maximum) MINIMUM period and a fine of (six thousand) ONE 
HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P150,000.00). 
imposed: 
(1) x x x 
(b) The penalty of prison (correccional in its maximum) 
MAYOR IN ITS MEDIUM period or fine of (six thousand) TWO 
HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P200,OOO.OO) OR 
BOTH 


IMPRISONMENT AND FINE shall be imposed upon the maintainer 
or conductor of the above gambling schemes. 
(c) The penalty or prision mayor in its (medium) MAXIMUM 
period with (temporary) PERPETUAL absolute disqualification or a 
fine of (six thousand) TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS 
(P250,OOO.OO) OR BOTH IMPRISONMENT AND FINE shall be 
imposed if the maintainer, conductor or banker of said gambling 
schemes is a government official, or where such government 
official is the player, promoter , referee, umpire, judge or coach in 
case of game-fixing, point-shaving and machination. 
(d) The penalty of prision correccional in its (medium) 
MAXIMUM period or a fine ranging from (four hundred to two 
thousand) TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P20,OOO.OO) TO FIFTY 
THOUSAND PESOS (P50,000,00) OR BOTH IMPRISONMENT 
AND FINE shall be imposed upon any person who shall, knowingly 
and without lawful purpose in any hour or any day, possess any 
lottery list, paper pertaining to or in any manner used in the games 
of jueteng, 181 alai or horse racing bookings, and similar games of 
lotteries and numbers which have taken place or about to take 
place. 
(e) The penalty of (temporary) PERMANENT absolute 
disqualification shall be imposed upon any barangay official who 
with knowledge of the existence of a gambling house or place in his 
jurisdiction fails to abate the same or take action in connection 
herewith. 
(f) The penalty of prision (correcoional) MAYOR in its 
maximum MINIMUM 'periods or a fine from (fine hundred pesos to 
two thousand pesos) TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P20,OOO.OO) 
TO 
FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P50,OOO.OO) 
OR 
BOTH 
IMPRISONMENT AND FINE shall be imposed upon any security, 
security guard, watchman, private or house detective of hotels, 
villages, buildings, enclosures, and the like which have the 
reputation of a gambling place or where gambling activities are 
being held." 
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its approval 
Approved, 
2