THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ] 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 
2320 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 99 of Act No. 3815 as amended, otherwise known as The Revised Penal 
Code authorizes the “Director of Prisons” to grant allowance for good conduct to 
prisoners in accordance with Article 97 of the same Act. 
Since the approval of The Revised Penal Code in December 8, 1930, Article 99 
thereof, which is the subject of this bill, had not been amended. At the time of the 
passage of the Revised Penal Code the “Director of Prisons” had supervision of all jails 
in the country. Since then however, jails in the country had been placed under the 
supervision and control of three government agencies, namely: (7) the national penal 
farms which house insular prisoners with prison terms of more than three years which 
are supervised and controlled by the Bureau of Corrections under the Department of 
Justice; (2) the provincial and sub-provincial jails which houses provincial prisoners or 
those serving prison terms of more than six months up to three years, which are 
supervised and controlled by its respective provincial governments under the 
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and (3) the district, city and 
municipal jails which house municipal prisoners or those serving prison terms of one 
day to not more than three years in city jails, which jails are supervised and controlled 
by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology also under the DILG. The Bureau of 
Corrections is headed by a Director, Each provincial jail by a Provincial Jail Warden and 
the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology by a Chief. 
At present however, only the Director of the Bureau of Corrections can grant 
allowance for good conduct for prisoners. The Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management 
and Penology learned from the Department of Justice and the DILG that he does not 
have the authority to grant the same allowance. 
Prisoners, wherever they may be confined, must be rewarded by the law for good 
behavior. A provincial, city or municipal prisoner must be entitled to allowance for good 
conduct just as an insular prisoner. 
This bill intends to equally grant allowances for good conduct for insular, 
provincial, city or municipal prisoners. It will also help decongest jails. 
Approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ] 
Second Regular Session 
.. 
. 
SENATE 
. .  
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLE NINETY-NINE OF ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-EIGHT 
HUNDRED FIFTEEN, AS AMENDED OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED 
PENAL CODE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 99 of Act Numbered 3915, as amended, othetwise known as 
The Revised Penal Code is amended to read as follows: 
“ART.99 Who grants time allowances.. , Whenever lawfully justified 
the [Director of Prisons] following shall grant allowances for good conduct: 
1. THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS 
FOR INSULAR PRISONERS; 
2. THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR OR HIS SUCCESSOR FOR 
PROVINCIAL PRISONERS; AND 
3. THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT 
AND PENOLOGY FOR CITY AND MUNICIPAL PRISONERS. 
SUCH ALLOWANCES ONCE GRANTED SHALL NOT BE REVOKED.” 
SEC. 2. The grant allowance for good conduct of any prisoner in any penal 
SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in two (2) 
institution shall be governed by Article 97 of Act No. 3815. 
newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines. 
Approved,