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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUJ3LIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Academic achievement is very important in obtaining employment, a promotion or 
higher compensation in employment, or admission to a prestigious institution. It is likewise 
important when presented in connection with any profession or occupation. It is imperative, 
therefore, that such academic achievement be obtained only through the efforts of the person 
claiming it as his or her own, and not the work of people he or she just paid to write his or her 
dissertations, theses, term papers, essays, reports or any other assignment. 
Hence, this bill seeks to make it unlawful for any person to sell, offer to sell, purchase or 
offer to purchase any material either written or provided through electronic media which will be 
submitted by a student as his or her own work to any university, college, academy, school or 
other educational institution, or to a course, seminar or degree program held by such institution. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
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S. No. "Y6%Z 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING THE UNLAWFUL SALE AND PURCHASE OF DISSERTATIONS, 
THESES, TERM PAPERS, ESSAYS, REPORTS, OR ANY OTHER ASSIGNMENT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the PhilQpinex in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Shovt Title. - This Act shall be known as "Academic Honesty Act of 2008." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the general 
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act makes it unlawful to sell, offer to sell, 
purchase or offer to purchase dissertations, theses, term papers, essays, reports or any other 
assignment which will be submitted by a student as his or her own work to any university, 
college, academy, school or other educational institution, or to a course, seminar or degree 
program held by such institution. 
SECTION 3. Prohibition on Unlawful Sale of Dissertations, Theses and Term Papers. - 
No person shall, for financial consideration, or the promise of financial consideration, prepare, 
offer to prepare, cause to be prepared, sell or offer for sale to any person any material either 
written or provided through electronic media which the seller knows, is informed or has reason 
to believe is intended for submission by a student as his or her own dissertation, thesis, term 
paper, essay, report or other assignment, as a requirement of any university, college, academy, 
school or other educational institution, or of any course, seminar or degree program held by such 
institution. 
SECTION 4. Prohibition on UnlawficI Purchase of Dissertations, Theses and Term 
Papers. - It shall likewise be unlawful for any person to purchase, or to offer to purchase, from 
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any person any material either written or provided through electronic media which the buyer 
intends to submit as his or her dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other assignment 
as a requirement of any university, college, academy, school or other educational institution, or 
of any course, seminar or degree program held by such institution. 
SECTION 5. Penalties. - Any person found guilty of violating the preceding Section 
shall be punished by a penalty of imprisonment of arrest0 menor, or a fine of not more than Ten 
Thousand Pesos (PlO,OOO.OO), or both, at the discretion of the court, taking into consideration all 
attending circumstances. 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 8. EfSectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/rgs 
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