RESOLUTION NO._____S.

2017
“RESOLUTION INFORMING THE PUBLIC THAT PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE
SIGNED INTO LAW REPUBLIC ACT 10951 ‘AN ACT ADJUSTING THE AMOUNT OR
THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AND DAMAGE ON WHICH A PENALTY IS BASED
AND THE FINES IMPOSED UNDER REVISED PENAL CODE , AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE ACT NO. 3815, KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE’, AS
AMENDED”

WHEREAS, last week President Duterte signed the law R.A. 10951 that
amended the 87-year-old Revised Penal Code;
WHEREAS, amid the prevalence of false news in the country and elsewhere,
R.A. 10951 includes a provision imposing penalties on a person found guilty of
spreading fake news that might affect public order;
WHEREAS, RA 10951 penalizes any person who by the same means or by
words, utterances or speeches shall encourage disobedience to the law or to the
constituted authorities or praise, justify and extol any act punished by law.It also covers
any person who shall maliciously publish, or cause to be published any official
resolution or document without proper authority or before they have been published
officially.
Any person who shall print, distribute or cause to be printed, published or
distributed books, pamphlets, periodicals or leaflets which do not bear the real printer’s
name, or which are classified as anonymous;
WHEREAS, the act shall also have a retroactive effect “to the extent that it is
favorable to the accused or person serving sentence by final judgement.”;
WHEREAS, lawmakers also amended the penalties on malversation of public
funds or property, which may suffer the terms ranging from prision correccional to
reclusion temporal with penalty starting at P40,000 to P4.4 million, depending on the
amount involved in the misappropriation or malversation of public funds;
WHEREAS, another pertinent provision focused on the “prolonging performance
of duties and powers” that penalizes any public officer who shall continue to exercise
the duties and powers of his office, employment or commission beyond the period
provided by the law, regulation or special provisions. It provides penalties of prision
correccional, disqualification and a fine not exceeding P100,000 ;
WHEREAS, early this year, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon pushed for
the approval of Senate Bill No. 14, saying the bill sought to address the “outdated”
penalties for certain crimes, which were based on the economic standards since the
Revised Penal Code first took effect in 1930;
WHEREAS, the Senate approved the bill with 21 ayes, zero nays and no
abstention, which also found a counterpart measure at the House of Representatives.
WHEREAS, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said, the only remedy is to
call for the much-needed overhaul of an archaic law that was promulgated decades ago
when the political, socio-economic and cultural settings were very much different from
today’s conditions;
WHEREAS, Drilon added, “the application of the DOJ formula yields adjusted
rates that are more appropriate for the objectives of the law – one, to avoid the
imposition of cruel and excessive punishment, and two, to make imposable fines an
effective deterrent to crimes”
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved, to INFORM THE
PUBLIC THAT PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE SIGNED INTO LAW REPUBLIC
ACT 10951 ‘AN ACT ADJUSTING THE AMOUNT OR THE VALUE OF THE
PROPERTY AND DAMAGE ON WHICH A PENALTY IS BASED AND THE FINES
IMPOSED UNDER REVISED PENAL CODE , AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ACT
NO. 3815, KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED.

RESOLVED FURTHER to furnish copies to this resolution to all local

government units.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.

EARL TIDY H. OYAS

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