SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
Senate
of tlif ^"cretarp
■'7 MAR-6 All 56
SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 
^
RECtlVtO SV;
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
AMENDING ARTICLES l8o, 183, AND 184 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED,
INCREASING THE PENALTIES THEREOF, CRIMINALIZING
SUBORNATION OF PERJURY, AND FOR OTHER PURI^OSES
Explanatory Note
“A lying witness can make as positive an identification as a truthful witness can. 
The lying witness can also say as forthrightly and unequivocally, He did it! without 
blinking an eye.”1
Testimonies before official proceedings and sworn affidavits are made under a 
solemn oath of truthfulness. However, it is worrying that the sacredness of statements 
made before legislative, judicial, and quasi-judicial proceedings, and that of sworn 
affidavits are being disregarded, seemingly without fear of the consequences of such 
criminal act. The assertion of falsehood, under oath or affirmation, is becoming 
prevalent. Recently, false testimonies of convicted felons were used to support 
malicious complaints against an incumbent member of the Senate. This condemnable 
act could be employed, not only to harass and unjustly punish innocent persons, but 
also to silence dissent.
Under the law, perjury is punishable by arresto mayor in its maximum period 
to prision correccional in its minimum period, that is, imprisonment for six (6) 
months up to two (2) years and two (2) months. With such low7 penalty, a would-be 
perjurer w ould not worry thinking that, even if convicted for such lies, the worst that 
he would get in jail term is two (2) years, which would even entitle him to avail of the 
benefits of the Probation Law.
To deter the commission of this crime, it is high time that we increase the 
penalty for perjury by two (2) degrees, that is, to prision mayor in its minimum to 
medium periods, or an imprisonment of from six (6) years and one (1) day to ten (10)
1 Lejano vs P eople o f th e  P h ilip p in e s, G.R. N o. 176389, D e ce m b e r 14, 201 0


years. However, those persons who have been coerced to commit peijury is given the 
chance to be exempt from criminal liability by proving duress and other circumstances 
which forced them to lie under oath or retract a previous testimony.
The proposed bill also expressly penalizes, and increases the penalty of 
subornation of perjury.2
Likewise, public officials or employees who commit peijury and subornation of 
perjury shall be meted with a higher penalty and be perpetually disqualified from 
holding a public office or employment. This is but proper in light of recent instances 
when those entrusted with the duty to see that justice is done are the ones coercing 
and using government resources to manufacture falsehood.
In view of the foregoing, early approval of this measure is requested.
V
LEILA M. DE LIMA
! P eople o f th e  P h ilip p in e s vs P udol, G.R. N o. L-45618, O c to b e r 1 8 ,1 9 3 8


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
Senate
pI tilP Sr?cretBrp
*17 
MAR -6 All 5 6
SEN A TE 
RECCIVED BY;.
SENATE BILL NO. 1 3 5 9
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT AMENDING ARTICLES i8o, 183, AND 184 OF ACT NO. 3815, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED, 
INCREASING THE PENALTIES THEREOF, CRIMINALIZING 
SUBORNATION OF PERJURY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Perjury Act of 2017”.
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Sec. 2. Section 180 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to read
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as follows:
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“Art. 180. False testimony against a defendant. - Any person who shall
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give false testimony against the defendant in any criminal case shall
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suffer THE SAME PENALTY FOR THE FELONY THE DEFENDANT IS
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BEING ACCUSED OF. PROVIDED, THAT, IF THE PERSON WHO
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WILL INDUCE OR ORDER THE COMMISSION OF THIS FELONY IS
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A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, THE PENALTY SHALL BE
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IMPOSED IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD. PROVIDED, FURTHER,
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THAT, THE OFFENDER SHALL SUFFER A FINE NOT TO EXCEED
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ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 1,000,000.00) AND PERPETUAL
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ABSOLUTE 
DISQUALIFICATION 
FROM 
HOLDING 
ANY


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APPOINTIVE OR ELECTIVE POSITION IN THE GOVERNMENT OR
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IN ANY AGENCY, ENTITY OR INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
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Sec. 3. Section 183 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to read 
as follows:
“Art. 183. False testimony in other cases and perjury in solemn 
affirmation. - The penalty of PRISIONMAYOR in its MINIMUM period 
to PRISION MAYOR in its MEDIUM period shall be imposed upon any 
person, who knowingly makes untruthful statements and not being 
included in the provisions of the next preceding articles, shall testify 
under oath, or make an affidavit, upon any material matter before a 
competent person authorized to administer an oath in cases in which the 
law so requires.
Any person who, in case of a solemn affirmation made in lieu of 
an oath, shall commit any of the falsehoods mentioned in this and the 
three preceding articles of this section, shall suffer the respective 
penalties provided therein.
ANY PERSON WHO SHALL INCRIMINATE OR IMPUTE, 
THROUGH FALSE TESTIMONY OR UNTRUTHFUL STATEMENTS 
UNDER OATH OR THROUGH AN AFFIDAVIT, ANY PERSON THE 
COMMISSION OF A CRIME SHALL SUFFER THE SAME PENALTY AS 
THAT BEING IMPOSED TO THE CRIME HE IS IMPUTING. 
PROVIDED, THAT, IF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 
COMMISSION OF THIS FELONY IS A PUBLIC OFFICER OR 
EMPLOYEE, THE PENALTY SHALL BE IMPOSED IN ITS MAXIMUM


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PERIOD. PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT, THE OFFENDER SHALL 
ALSO SUFFER A FINE NOT TO EXCEED ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 
1,000,000.00) AND PERPETUAL ABSOLUTE DISQUALIFICATION 
FROM HOLDING ANY APPOINTIVE OR ELECTIVE POSITION IN 
THE 
GOVERNMENT 
OR 
IN 
ANY 
AGENCY, 
ENTITY 
OR 
INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
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Sec. 4. Section 184 of Act No. 3815, as amended, is hereby further amended to read
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as follows:
“Art. 184. Offering false testimony in evidence. - Any person who shall 
knowingly offer in evidence a false witness or testimony in any judicial 
or official proceeding, shall be punished as guilty of false testimony and 
shall suffer the respective penalties provided in this section. IF THE 
PERSON WHO OFFERED THE FALSE TESTIMONY AS EVIDENCE IS 
A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, THE PENALTY SHALL BE 
IMPOSED IN ITS MAXIMUM PERIOD. IN ADDITION THERETO, IF 
THE OFFENDER IS A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, HE SHALL 
ALSO SUFFER A FINE NOT TO EXCEED ONE MILLION PESOS (Php 
1,000,000.00) AND PERPETUAL ABSOLUTE DISQUALIFICATION 
FROM HOLDING ANY APPOINTIVE OR ELECTIVE POSITION IN 
THE 
GOVERNMENT 
OR 
ANY 
AGENCY, 
ENTITY 
OR 
INSTRUMENTALITY THEREOF.”
Sec. 5. Subornation of perjury. -  Any person who procures or induces another to 
swear falsely or execute a statement under oath for the purpose of charging or accusing 
another person with a crime or offense and the person suborned testifies under the 
circumstances rendering him guilty of perjury shall be liable for subornation of peijury


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punishable with prision mayor in its maximum period to reclusion temporal in its 
minimum period. Provided, that, if the person responsible for the commission of this 
felony is a public officer or employee, the penalty imposed shall be reclusion temporal 
in its medium period to reclusion perpetua. Provided, further, that, the offender shall 
suffer a fine not to exceed one million pesos (Php 1,000,000.00) and perpetual 
absolute disqualification from holding any appointive or elective position in the 
government or in any agency, entity or instrumentality thereof
Sec. 6. Exempting circumstances. -  Any person who commits a violation of this Act 
may claim the following as additional exempting circumstances:
(a) that another person has, by means of violence, threats, or intimidation, 
compelled him to commit perjury; or
(b) that such other person threatened him with the infliction upon his person, 
honor, or property, or that of his family, of any wrong amounting to a crime or 
to an undue deprivation of his rights through grave abuse of authority.
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Sec. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
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unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
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and effect.
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Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, 
presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.
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Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its approval fifteen (15) days
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following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspaper of general
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circulation in the Philippines.