Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This measure seeks to protect, conserve and develop water resources by defining 
the offense of illegal logging in watersheds and other protected areas, and prescribing the 
appropriate penalties therefore. 
The importance of watersheds and other areas classified as protected areas in the 
maintenance of a healthy environment is well recognized in Republic Act. No. 7586 
otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act of 1992. This 
law is flawed however, in the weakness of penal provisions needed for the enforcement 
and implementation of its provisions. 
The rampant conversion of forest lands situated on watersheds into commercial 
lands which are eventually cleared to make way for industrial estates or golf courses 
constitute an extremely high cost to social welfare and have to be stemmed with the 
appropriate penal sanctions provided for in this bill. 
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly requested 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.B.No. 783 
Introdnced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT 
DEFINING THE OFFENSE OF ILLEGAL LOGGING IN WATERSHEDS AND 
OTHER PROTECTED AREAS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
protect, conserve and develop water resources for human consumption, irrigation, hydro- 
electric power generation, inland fisheries, bio-diversity and for other beneficial 
purposes, and to these ends, the cutting and felling of trees within watersheds and other 
protected areas are prohibited. 
SEC. 2. Illegal Logging in Watershed and Other Protected Areas. - It is hereby 
declared unlawkl for any person to cut or fell trees for any purpose whatsoever within 
watersheds and other protected areas. 
SEC. 3. Penalties. - Violation of Section 2 hereof shall be punished with rechion 
perpetua. No mitigating circumstance whatsoever shall be appreciated in favor of the 
offender. 
In addition to the prison term, the offender shall indemnify the Republic o f  the 
Philippines in an amount ten (IO) times the value of the illegally cut trees. If the offender 
is a corporation, partnership or other juridical person, the Chief Executive OEcer thereof, 
whether Chairman, President or General Manager, shall be criminally liable in the 
commission of the offense penalized under this Act. 
If the crime herein mentioned is committed by a public officer, he shall, in addition to the 
foregoing penalties, be perpetually disqualified from holding public ofice. 
SEC. 4. Suspension of Licenses. - Upon the filing of the necessary information in court, 
the government prosecutor shall, if the offender is a corporation, partnerships or other 
juridical person to whom a license agreement, lease or permit to utilize forest resources 
within any forest land has been granted, forward a copy of the information to the 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources @ENR). Upon receipt thereof, 
DENR shall immediately cause the suspension of the license agreement, lease or permit, 
as the case may be, of the offender until termination of the criminal case. In case the 


offender is acquitted, the suspension shall be ordered lifted. Otherwise, the license, lease 
or permit shall be ordered cancelled. 
SEC. 5. The Indeterminate Sentence Law shall not be applicable to the offense punished 
in this Act. 
SEC. 6. Forfeiture of the hstruments of the Crime. - Any tool, equipment or vehicle 
used in the cutting and transport of the illegally cut trees shall be automatically forfeited 
in favor of the government. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any portion or provision of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts not affected thereby shall remain in full 
force and effect. 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, issuances, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly 
SEC. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the .Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation whichever 
comes earlier. 
Approved,