e;EMA7% 
ICE OF THE ~~~~~~A~ 
~ . .  
14th CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1”ReguIar Session 
S E N A T E  
.
.
 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill advances a dynamic implementation of the good conduct 
allowance under Article 97, Chapter II of the Revised Penal Code. It 
unequivocally recognizes as “good conduct” the demonstrated courage, 
willingness and the ability of a prisoner to increase his knowledge, develop his 
skills and strengthen his moral values while under detention 
The potential benefits from this bill are as follows: 
1, Increasing literacy and skills standards and strengthening moral values 
of prisoners will facilitate their reintegration into mainstream society as 
reformed and productive citizens. 
2. The grant to prisoners of good conduct time allowance for participating 
in literacy, skills and values development programs will result in the 
reduction of their incarceration period. This translates to a decrease in 
the over-all cost of correction thru jail decongestion. 
3. With increasing literacy among prisoners, a jail management system 
responsive to current needs and problems can be implemented to 
forestall, jailbreaks, riots and other destabilizing activities. 
4. The duty of the State to provide elementary and high school education 
to its citizens, for free, is fulfilled. 
It is a fact that many prisoners are unschooled or are illiterates which may 
be contributory to their transgression of the law. Ignorance costs more than 
education according to an imminent educator and no better proof of this could be 
found than in jails where tangible returns on time and monetary investments are 
wanting. 
As an incentive to parallel the rigors and the bliss of increasing knowledge, 
developing skills and strengthening moral values while under detention, the grant 
of good conduct time allowance for prisoners who participate in the literacy, skills 
and moral development programs is made mandatory. A prisoner’s “good 
conduct” deserves recompense under the law. 
Life is still worth the living and must go on even if, for prisoners, it is lived 
temporarily behind bars. Living in ignorance is perpetually living in prison, sans 
the bars, hence, the premium on educational and character-building endeavors. 
If only for the moral and economic considerations it advocates, this bill 
deserves our unanimous support and immediate approval. 
& I d  
L. 
AQUlLlNO Q. PIMENTEL Jr. 
EAP/,,o~c.broom4dacsl?ueyolSB-Good conduct ellowaocs.dac 
3P2fR007, 11:260BAM 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 st Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
s. No. 
135 
Introduced by Senator AQUlllNO Q, PIMENTEL Jr. 
AN ACT 
GRANTING MANDATORY GOOD CONDUCT ALLOWANCE TO 
PRISONERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY, SKILLS AND 
VALUES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS. 
SECTION 1. Any prisoner who has earned or is making satisfactory 
progress towards earning a post-graduate or a college degree or a certificate of 
completion of a vocational or skills or values development course or a high 
school diploma or an elementary grades certificate shall be granted time credit 
towards the service of his sentence. The credit shall not exceed fifteen days for 
every month of study time. 
Prisoners who may be utilized to teach courses or subjects or to engage in 
skills or values development shall also receive such time credit at the rate of 
fifteen days maximum for every month of mentoring service rendered to fellow 
prisoners. 
Sec. 2. 
Good conduct allowances earned through the literacy, skills 
and values development programs for prisoners shall be computed at the end of 
each calendar year, unless earlier required. 
Sec. 3. 
The literacy, skills and values development programs for 
prisoners shall be implemented in coordination with the Department of Education. 


Sec. 4. 
Within sixty days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary 
of Justice shall promulgate a classification system for the good conduct time 
allowance under such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement 
this Act. 
Sec. 5. 
All laws, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are 
contrary to or are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
Sec. 6. 
This Act shall take effect after fifteen days from its 
publication in three national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,