HOLST 9¢ REPRE

Republic of the Philippines =|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVED
Quezon City 21 UL 2016

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS mc
First Regular Session oy Wa

RFEISTRATION UNIT

1850
HOUSE BILL NO.2 PPV BAL AND INUEX SERVICE

TATIVES:

INTRODUCED BY CONGRESSMAN ALFREDO D. VARGAS III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Integrity of land titles are guaranteed by Torrens System of Registration, it is also
the most effective way of measuring it. The best evidence of ownership of land or
interest therein is the Certificate of Title issued under the System. Certificates of Title
are supposed to be indefeasible and incontrovertible. Persons who are dealing with land
or any interest therein are not one hundred percent sure of validity of the title. The
system helps the surety of the person to the title.

More often than not, fake land titles in the Philippines are fabricated by
syndicates to persuade buyers into acquiring supposedly cheap real estate properties. If
this illegal act continues, our country will be flooded with fake and falsified Titles each
inflicting harm on the integrity of the System, to the detriment of the country's
economic stability.

This proposed legislative measure seeks to remedy and stop the nefarious
practice of anomalously titling land, amending for the purpose the provisions of Article
171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code, by increasing its penalty, if the falsification
involves a Certificate of Land Title or any Land Patent Application, deed, instrument of
documents in support thereof, reasonably connected with and calculated to cause the
issuance of a Certificate of land Title. In addition, the offense shall be deemed a grave
offense involving economic sabotage if the fair market value of the land as shown by its
Tax Declaration issued by the City of Provincial Assessor or the Zonal Valuation as
determined by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue whichever is higher or the
aggregate value thereof, where the falsification or series or combination of falsifications
involves more than one (1) Title is at least Ten Million Pesos (P 10,000,000).

In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

LFREDO D. VAHGAS IIL


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNOL85O

Introduced by Congressman Alfredo D. Vargas III

AN ACT

IMPOSING STIFFER PENALTIES FOR FALSIFICATION OF CERTIFICATES
OF LAND TITLE OR ANY APPLICATION, DEED, INSTRUMENT OR
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT, REASONABLY CONNECTED WITH AND
CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF LAND
TITLE, CLASSIFYING THE SAME AS A HEINOUS OFFENSE INVOLVING
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE IF THE VALUE OR AGGREGATE VALUE OF THE
LAND IS AT LEAST TEN MILLION PESOS (P 10,000,000.00), AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLES 171 AND 172 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO.
3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL
CODE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 171 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as, the
Revised Penal Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Article 171. Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or
ecclesiastic minister. - The penalty of prision mayor and a fine not to
exceed 5,000 pesos shall be imposed upon any public officer, employee,
or notary who, taking advantage of his official position, shall falsify a
document by committing any of the following acts:

230000

THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION TEMPORAL AND A FINE OF P
50,000 SHALL BE IMPO: IF THE DOCUMENT FALSIFIED IS A
CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE OR ANY LAND PATENT APPLICATION,
D, INSTRUMENT OR DOCUMENT IN SUPPORT THEREOF,
REASONABLY CONNECTED WITH AND CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE
ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE. PROVIDED THAT, THE
PENALTY OF RECLUSION PERPETUA SHALL BE IMPOSED IF THE FAIR



MARKET VALUE AS SHOWN BY ITS TAX DECLARATION ISSUED BY THE
CITY OR PROVINCIAL ASSESSOR OR ZONAL VALUATION AS
DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, OR
AGGREGATE VALUE THEREOF, WHERE THE FALSIFICATION OR SERIES
OR COMBINATION THEREOF INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE (1) TITLE IS
AT LEAST TEN MILLION PESOS (P 10,000,000.00)

SECTION 2. Article 172 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as, the Revised
Penal Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Article 172, Falsification by private individuals and use of falsified
documents. - The penalty of prision correccional in its medium and
maximum periods and a fine of not more that 5,000 pesos shall be
imposed upon:

(1) Any private individual who shall commit any of the
falsifications enumerated in the next preceding article in any public or
official document or letter of exchange or any other kind of commercial
document;

PROVIDED, THAT, THE PENALTY OF PRISION MAYOR
AND A FINE OF TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P
25,000.00) SHALL BE IMPOSED IF THE DOCUMENT FALSIFIED
IS A CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE OR ANY LAND PATENT
APPLICATION, DEED, INSTRUMENT OR DOCUMENT IN
SUPPORT THEREOF, REASONABLY CONNECTED WITH AND
CALCULATED TO CAUSE THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF
LAND TITLE. PROVIDED THAT, THE PENALTY OF RECLUSION
PERPETUA SHALL BE IMPOSED IF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE
AS SHOWN BY ITS TAX DECLARATION ISSUED BY THE CITY
OR PROVINCIAL ASSESSOR, OR ZONAL VALUATION AS
DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL
REVENUE, OR AGGREGATE VALUE THEREOF, WHERE THE
FALSIFICATION OR SERIES OR COMBINATION THEREOF
INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE (1) TITLE IS AT LEAST TEN
MILLION PESOS (P 10,000,000.00).

CERTIFICATE OF LAND TITLE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
ARTICLE AND THE IMMEDIATE PRECEDING ARTICLE REFERS
TO EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP ISSUED PURSUANT TO THE
ORDER OF THE COURT OVER REGISTERED LAND OR THE
MUNIMENT OF TITLE ISSUED BY A GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF SOME
PORTION OF PUBLIC DOMAIN. IT INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT
LIMITED TO ORIGINAL CERTIFICATES OF TITLE (OCT),


TRANSFER CERTIFICATES OF TITLE (TCT) , CERTIFICATES OF
LAND OWNERSHIP AWARDS (CLOA), LAND PATENTS, SALES
PATENTS, HOMESTEAD PATENTS, AND FREE PATENTS.

(2) XXXXX ..”
SECTION 3. If any provision of this Act shall be declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the remaining part or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain

in force.

SECTION 4. Any law, decree, ordinance, administrative circulars not consistent
with any provision of this Act is hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,