, 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2182 
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Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING THE IMPOSITION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7610, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS SPECIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, 
EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION ACT, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Section 13, Article 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that: 
"The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and 
shall promote and protect their' physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social 
well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and 
encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs." 
Being a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Philippines 
committed itself to take all appropriate legislative measures to protect the child from aU forms of 
physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or 
exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other 
person who has the care of the child (Article 19, CRC). Further, we are committed to take all 
appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent 
with the child's human dignity (Article 28 [2], CRC) and that no child shall be subjected to torture 
or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 37, CRC [a]). 
It is hereby stressed that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated 
in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Rights of the Child 
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 and recognized in the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights. In fact, the Declaration on the Rights of the Child explicitly 
provides that "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special 
safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth". 
Further, the devastating impact of violence against children may result in "greater 
susceptibility to lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive impairments and to heath-risk behavior. 
Related mental health and social problems include anxiety and depressive disorders, 
hallUCinations, impaired work performance, memory disturbances, as well as aggressive 
behavior. Early exposure to violence is associated with lung, heart and liver disease, sexually 
transmitted diseases and fetal death during pregnancy, as well as relationship violence and 
suicidal attempts. ,,1 
For the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, children should grow 
up in a peaceful environment. Children must be nurtured in an atmosphere of happiness, love, 
and understanding in order to ensure that they will grow up as productive and morally upright 
citizens. There is therefore an urgent need to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in the 
home, in schools, in private and public institutions, in the juvenile justice system and in all other 
alternative care systern. Passage of this bill is thus recommended. 
&~~ 
1 "World Report on Violence Against Children", Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, pages 13-14. 


, 
" 
. , 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2182 
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR 
AN ACT 
Sttwte 
(@Ih;r -It! fiji! ,~t'f1i'br~ 
'14 
MAR 31 
P 4 :30 
PROHIBITING THE IMPOSITION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7610, AS AMENDED, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SPECIAL PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD 
ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION ACT, PROVIDING PENALTIES 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Ht/e. - This Act shall be known as 'The Anti-Corporal 
Punishment Law.". 
SECTION 2. There shall be incorporated under SECTION 3 of Republic act 7610 
under "Definition of Terms" an additional section (e) to read as follows: 
"(e) "Corporal Punishment" refers 0 the infliction of physical 
or mental violence or blows upon a child as a form of punishment or 
chastisement including public humiliation, verbal abuse, and other 
forms of punishment that is considered abusive, degrading and not 
consistent with the child's human dignity considering his/her 
physical and mental immaturity." 
SECTION 3. Prohibition on Corporal Punishment. - There shall be incorporated 
under Section 10, Article Cion Other Acts or Abuse an additional sub-section (f) to read 
as follows: 
"(f) Any parent or ascendant, teacher, or guardian who shall inflict 
corporal punishment upon his/her child or a descendant under his/her 
care, stUdent or ward, respectively, shall suffer: 
1) 
The penalty of prision mayor in the maximum to 
reclusion temporal in the minimum if in consequence of such 
corporal punishment, the victim shall become insane, imbecile or 
bUnd. 
2) 
The penalty of prision mayor in the medium to prision 
mayor in the maximum if in consequence of such corporal 
punishment, the victim have lost an eye, a hand a foot, an arm, or a 
leg or shall have lost the use of any such member or shall become 
incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities of a child; 
3) 
The Penalty of prision correcional in the prision mayor 
in the minimum if in consequence of such Corporal Punishment, the 
victim injured shall have become deformed, or shall have lost any 
part of his body, or shall have lost the use thereof, or shall have 


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been ill or incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities of 
a child for a period of more than ninety days; 
4) 
The penalty of prision correcibnal in the prision mayor 
in the maximum if in consequence of such corporal punishment, the 
victim injured shall have been ill or incapacitated to engage in the 
usual physical activities of a child for a period of more than thirty 
days; 
. 
5) 
The penalty of prision correcional in the minimum to 
prision correcional in the medium if in consequence of such 
corporal punishment, the victim shall have become ill or 
incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities of a child 
from ten to thirty days; 
6) 
The penalty to arresto mayor in the maximum to 
prision correcional in the minimum if in the consequence of such 
corporal punishment, the victim 
shall have become ill or 
incapacitated to engage in the usual physical activities· of a child for 
a period of one to nine days; 
7) 
The penalty to arresto mayor in the medium to 
maximum period when the offender has caused physical injuries 
not requiring medical attendance. 
8) 
The penalty of arresto mayor in the minimum to 
medium period if such corporal punishment does not cause any 
physical or mental injury. 
The teacher who inflicts any corporal punishment as defined in 
Section 3 shall be liable provided he/she is a teacher in the same school 
where the child victim is enrolled and regardless of the place and time in 
the corporal punishment was inflicted by the offender upon the child 
victim. The foregoing provisions shall also apply to other school 
employees and officials whether occupying a teaching pOSition or not. 
The penalties prescribed above shall be imposed on the maximum 
if the victim is below twelve years old, and one degree higher if the victim 
is below seven years old. The foregoing provisions shall also apply to the 
cl,lstodians of children in the juvenile justice or correction institutions." 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, rules or regulations which are 
inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or 
repealed accordingly. 
SECTION 6. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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