Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
MANDATING THE DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AT SEA BY RELEVANT 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS TO WHICH THE PHILIPPINES IS A STATE 
PARTY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
There is a duty under international law for a ship to attempt the rescue of persons in 
danger at sea. This is based on a long-standing and strongly felt moral obligation among 
seafarers. The duty to help distressed persons in the sea is enshrined in both the United 
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the International Convention 
for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 and its Protocols of 1978 and 1988 and the Agreement 
of 1996. Considering that the Philippines is a signatory to both international instruments, 
it is only appropriate that the State complies with its duties and obligations to the 
international community as a State Party. 
In this regard, this measure proposes to hold the vessel's captain, crew, and passengers 
liable for refusing or failing to help persons in distress at sea. In the case that a ship, 
under special circumstances, is unable to respond to a distress alert, the ship captain has 
to properly document the reason for their failure to render assistance. This measure also 
proposes to penalize violators with a fine ranging from Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) 
to Twenty Million Pesos (P20,000,000.00). This measure is proposed to ensure a safe 
maritime environment as well as safeguard the lives of our Filipino seafarers. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good 
of the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 1, 2022
9:40 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
MANDATING THE DUTY TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AT SEA BY RELEVANT 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS TO WHICH THE PHILIPPINES IS A STATE 
PARTY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Good Samaritan at Sea Law.” 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The following are hereby declared to be the policies of 
the State:    
a) The State shall provide for the full and effective implementation and enforcement
of international maritime instruments ratified by the Philippine Government that
cover the safety of life at sea and comply with its duties and obligations to the
international community as a State Party.
b) The State shall ensure that unlawful acts committed in waters forming part of the
national territory and those over which the country has sovereignty and jurisdiction
are prevented, detected, and penalized to ensure a safe maritime environment as
well as safeguard lives and properties.
Sec. 3. Scope of Application. – This Act applies to all vessels navigating in the territorial 
sea, archipelagic waters, and internal waters of the Philippines, and all Philippine-flagged 
vessels navigating in the contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone of the Philippines 
and the high seas. 
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
a) Assistance may include but is not limited to, search, rescue, towage, or medical
treatment.
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b) Distress refers to a situation wherein there is a reasonable certainty that a person, 
a vessel, or other craft is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires 
immediate assistance.   
 
c) Requisition refers to the temporary take over or command of the ship, with the 
consent of its master, by the master of a ship in distress, the search, and rescue 
service concerned, or the Philippine Coast Guard, solely to help a ship in distress. 
 
Sec. 5. Duty to Render Assistance. – 
 
a) The master of a ship, insofar as he or she can do so without danger to the ship, 
the crew, or the passengers has the duty to: 
 
i. 
Help to any person or persons found at sea in danger of being lost; or  
ii. 
Proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, upon 
receiving a signal from any source that such persons are in distress or if 
otherwise informed of their need of assistance, insofar as such action may 
reasonably be expected of him or her. 
 
b) After a collision or other incidents of navigation, the master of the ship that caused, 
or is involved in, the incident shall help the other ship, its crew, and its passengers 
and, where possible, to inform the other ship of the name of his or her ship, its port 
of registry and the nearest port at which it will call. 
 
Sec. 6. Coordination in Rendering Assistance. – The master of the ship answering a 
distress signal shall, as much as possible, inform the ship in distress and the appropriate 
search and rescue service or the Philippine Coast Guard that his or her ship is proceeding 
with all speed to help the ship in distress. In case of collision or other incidents of 
navigation, the ship helping the other ship involved in the incident shall, as much as 
possible, also inform the appropriate search and rescue service or the Philippine Coast 
Guard of the incident and the status of the assistance being provided by it. 
 
Sec. 7. Inability or Failure to Render Assistance. –  
  
a) If the ship receiving the distress alert is unable or, in the special circumstances of 
the case, considers it unreasonable or unnecessary to proceed to their assistance, 
or the giving of assistance would cause danger to the ship, the crew, or the 
passenger, the master must enter in the logbook the reason for failing to proceed 
to the assistance of the persons or ships in distress, and accordingly inform 
immediately the appropriate search and rescue service or the Philippine Coast 
Guard. 
b) The master of the ship shall be released from the obligation to render assistance 
provided in Section 5 upon compliance with the requirement of entering in the 
logbook the reason for the inability or failure to render assistance and informing 


the appropriate search and rescue service or the Philippine Coast Guard of his or 
her ship’s inability or failure to render such assistance. 
 
Sec. 8. Requisition. – 
 
a) The master of a ship in distress, the Philippine Coast Guard, or the search and 
rescue service concerned, after consultation, so far as may be possible, with the 
master or masters of the ship or ships which answer the distress alert, has the right 
to requisition one or more of those ships as they consider best able to render 
assistance, and it shall be the duty of the master or masters of the ship or ships 
requisitioned to comply with the requisition by continuing to proceed with all speed 
to the assistance of persons in distress. 
 
b) The master or masters of ship or ships shall be released from the obligation 
imposed by Section 4 on learning that their ship or ships have not been 
requisitioned and that one or more other ships have been requisitioned and are 
complying with the requisition. This decision shall, if possible, be communicated to 
the other requisitioned ships and the concerned search and rescue service or the 
Philippine Coast Guard.    
 
c) The master of a ship shall be released from the obligation imposed by Section 5 
and, if his or her ship has been requisitioned, from the obligation imposed by 
Section 8(a) on being informed by the person or persons in distress, the concerned 
search and rescue service; the Philippine Coast Guard or, the master of another 
ship which has reached such persons that assistance is no longer necessary. 
 
Sec. 9. Penalties. – (a) Failure to comply with any of the obligations provided in Sections 
5 and 8(a) shall be punishable by a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(PhP100,000.00) but not more than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000.00), depending on 
the size of the vessel or ship to be defined in the implementing rules and regulations of 
this Act. If the violator is the cause or part of the vessel or ship that caused the distress 
at sea, collision, or any other incident of navigation, the fine shall be not less than One 
Million 
Pesos 
(PhP1,000,000.00) 
but 
not 
more 
than 
Five 
Million 
Pesos 
(PhP5,000,000.00), depending on the size of the vessel or ship to be defined in the 
implementing rules and regulations of this Act. 
 
Sec. 10. Jurisdiction and Venue. – The criminal action for failure to render assistance 
as provided in Sections 5 and 8(a) about Section 8 shall be instituted and tried in any of 
the following venues: 
 
a) The Regional Trial Courts of the city or municipality nearest to the place or maritime 
zone where the crime was committed; 
 


b) The Regional Trial Court of the city or municipality which is the first port of entry of 
the ship under the command of a master or officer of the ship who committed the 
crime; or 
 
c) The Regional Trial Court of Manila. 
 
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. – If for any reason, any section, subsection, clause, or 
term of this Act is held to be illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, such parts not affected by 
such declaration shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. – All existing laws, orders, decrees, rules, and regulations 
or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified, 
or repealed accordingly. 
 
Sec. 13. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,