SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1669 
) 
) 
) 
INTRODUCED BY StN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
, 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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Many crimes go unpunished because of the failure to report to the proper 
authorities the actual crimes, as well as other important incidents that may 
otherwise lead to the successful apprehension and prosecution of criminals. 
To elicit a positive duty from every individual to actively participate in 
promoting peace and order, this bill proposes to amend Presidential Decree No. 
1829, Penalizing Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal 
Offenders, by including the following acts as obstruction of justice: 
• 
Failing to report stolen or lost firearms to the proper authorities; 
• 
Failing to report carnapped motor vehicles or lost number plates of 
motor vehicles to the proper authorities; 
• 
Having knowledge of or witnessed a crime, concealing and not 
making known such crime to the proper authorities; and 
• 
Failing to give needed testimony in court on a crime. 
To obstruct justice is to deny justice and commit a crime against the law. 
For this and the foregoing reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
Y EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1669 
'13 
SEP 16 P 3 :Hi 
.,I~: ~; 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
AMENDING 
PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE 
NO. 
1829, 
PENALIZING 
OBSTRUCTION OF APPREHENSION AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL 
OFFENDERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 1829, Penalizing 
Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal Offenders, is hereby 
amended to read as follows: 
"Section 1. The penalty of prision correccional. in its 
maximum period UNDER THE REVISED PENAL CODE, or a fine 
ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 pesos, or both, shall be imposed upon 
any person who knowingly or willfully obstructs, impedes, frustrates 
or delays the apprehension of suspects and the investigation and 
prosecution of criminal cases by committing any of the following 
acts: xxx 
(i) 
Giving of false or fabricated information to mislead or 
prevent 
the 
law 
enforcement 
agencies 
from 
apprehending the offender or from protecting the life 
or property of the victim; or fabricating information 
from the data gathered in confidence by investigating 
authorities for purposes of background information 
and 
not 
for 
publication 
and 
publishing 
or 
disseminating the same to mislead the investigator or 
the court[.]; 
(J) 
FAILING 
TO 
REPORT 
STOLEN 
OR 
LOST 
FIREARMS TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES; 
(K) 
FAILING 
TO 
REPORT 
CARNAPPED 
MOTOR 
VEHICLES 
OR 
LOST 
NUMBER 
PLATES 
OF 
MOTOR. 
VEHICLES 
TO 
THE 
PROPER 
AUTHORITIES; 
(L) 
HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF OR WITNESSED A 
CRIME, CONCEALING AND NOT MAKING KNOWN 


SUCH CRIME TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES; 
AND, 
(M) 
FAILING TO GIVE NEEDED TESTIMONY IN COURT 
ON A CRIME." 
SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations or other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with Sec. 1 of this Act 
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any portion of Sec. 1 of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional, the remainder not affected thereby shall remain in 
force and effect. 
SEC. 4. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a 
newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. 
Approved,