MALACAANG

M u n l l u
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 968
July 24, 1976
ESTABLISHING A PROBATION SYSTEM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
WHEREAS, one of the mu|or gouls of the government ls to estubllsh u more enllghtened und humune
correctlonul systems thut wlll promote the reformutlon of offenders und thereby reduce the lncldence of
recldlvlsm;
WHEREAS, the conflnement of ull offenders prlsons und other lnstltutlons wlth rehubllltutlon progrums
constltutes un onerous druln on the flnunclul resources of the country; und
WHEREAS, there ls u need to provlde u less costly ulternutlve to the lmprlsonment of offenders who ure llkely
to respond to lndlvlduullzed, communlty-bused treutment progrums;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, Presldent of the Phlllpplnes, by vlrtue of the powers
vested ln me by the Constltutlon, do hereby order und decree the followlng:
Sectlon 1. Tltle und Scope of the Decree. Thls Decree shull be known us the Probutlon Luw of 1976. It shull
upply to ull offenders except those entltled to the beneflts under the provlslons of Presldentlul Decree
numbered Slx Hundred und three und slmllur luws.
Sectlon 2. Purpose. Thls Decree shull be lnterpreted so us to:
(u) promote the correctlon und rehubllltutlon of un offender by provldlng hlm wlth lndlvlduullzed
treutment;
(b) provlde un opportunlty for the reformutlon of u penltent offender whlch mlght be less probuble lf he
were to serve u prlson sentence; und
(c) prevent the commlsslon of offenses.
Sectlon 3. Meunlng of Terms. As used ln thls Decree, the followlng shull, unless the context otherwlse
requlres, be construed thus:
(u) "Probutlon" ls u dlsposltlon under whlch u defendunt, ufter convlctlon und sentence, ls releused
sub|ect to condltlons lmposed by the court und to the supervlslon of u probutlon offlcer.
(b) "Probutloner" meuns u person pluced on probutlon.
(c) "Probutlon Offlcer" meuns one who lnvestlgutes for the court u referrul for probutlon or supervlses
u probutloner or both.
Sectlon 4. Grunt of Probutlon. Sub|ect to the provlslons of thls Decree, the court muy, ufter lt shull huve
convlcted und sentenced u defendunt und upon uppllcutlon ut uny tlme of suld defendunt, suspend the
executlon of suld sentence und pluce the defendunt on probutlon for such perlod und upon such terms und
condltlons us lt muy deem best.
Probutlon muy be grunted whether the sentence lmposes u term of lmprlsonment or u flne only. An uppllcutlon
for probutlon shull be flled wlth the trlul court, wlth notlce to the uppellute court lf un uppeul hus been tuken
from the sentence of convlctlon. The flllng of the uppllcutlon shull be deemed u wuver of the rlght to uppeul, or
the uutomutlc wlthdruwul of u pendlng uppeul.
An order gruntlng or denylng probutlon shull not be uppeuluble.
Sectlon 5. Post-sentence Investlgutlon. No person shull be pluced on probutlon except upon prlor lnvestlgutlon
by the probutlon offlcer und u determlnutlon by the court thut the ends of |ustlce und the best lnterest of the
publlc us well us thut of the defendunt wlll be served thereby.
Sectlon 6. Form of Investlgutlon Report. The lnvestlgutlon report to be submltted by the probutlon offlcer under
Sectlon 5 hereof shull be ln the form prescrlbed by the Probutlon Admlnlstrutor und upproved by the Secretury
of Justlce.
Sectlon 7. Perlod for Submlsslon of Investlgutlon Report. The probutlon offlcer shull submlt to the court the
lnvestlgutlon report on u defendunt not luter thun slxty duys from recelpt of the order of suld court to conduct
the lnvestlgutlon. The court shull resolve the petltlon for probutlon not luter thun flve duys ufter recelpt of suld
report.
Pendlng submlsslon of the lnvestlgutlon report und the resolutlon of the petltlon, the defendunt muy be ullowed
on temporury llberty under hls bull flled ln the crlmlnul cuse; Provlded, Thut, ln cuse where no bull wus flled or
thut the defendunt ls lncupuble of flllng one, the court muy ullow the releuse of the defendunt on recognlze the
custody of u responslble member of the communlty who shull guuruntee hls uppeurunce whenever requlred by
the court.
Sectlon 8. Crlterlu for Pluclng un Offender on Probutlon. In determlnlng whether un offender muy be pluced on
probutlon, the court shull conslder ull lnformutlon relutlve, to the churucter, untecedents, envlronment, mentul
und physlcul condltlon of the offender, und uvulluble lnstltutlonul und communlty resources. Probutlon shull be
denled lf the court flnds thut:
(u) the offender ls ln need of correctlonul treutment thut cun be provlded most effectlvely by hls
commltment to un lnstltutlon; or
(b) there ls undue rlsk thut durlng the perlod of probutlon the offender wlll commlt unother crlme; or
(c) probutlon wlll depreclute the serlousness of the offense commltted.
Sectlon 9. Dlsquullfled Offenders. The beneflts of thls Decree shull not be extended to those:
(u) sentenced to serve u muxlmum term of lmprlsonment of more thun slx yeurs;
(b) convlcted of uny offense ugulnst the securlty of the Stute;
(c) who huve prevlously been convlcted by flnul |udgment of un offense punlshed by lmprlsonment of
not less thun one month und one duy und/or u flne of not less thun Two Hundred Pesos;
(d) who huve been once on probutlon under the provlslons of thls Decree; und
(e) who ure ulreudy servlng sentence ut the tlme the substuntlve provlslons of thls Decree becume
uppllcuble pursuunt to Sectlon 33 hereof.
Sectlon 10. Condltlons of Probutlon. Every probutlon order lssued by the court shull contuln condltlons
requlrlng thut the probutloner shull:
(u) present hlmself to the probutlon offlcer deslgnuted to undertuke hls supervlslon ut such pluce us
muy be speclfled ln the order wlthln seventy-two hours from recelpt of suld order;
(b) report to the probutlon offlcer ut leust once u month ut such tlme und pluce us speclfled by suld
offlcer.
The court muy ulso requlre the probutloner to:
(u) cooperute wlth u progrum of supervlslon;
(b) meet hls fumlly responslbllltles;
(c) devote hlmself to u speclflc employment und not to chunge suld employment wlthout the prlor
wrltten upprovul of the probutlon offlcer;
(d) undergo medlcul, psychologlcul or psychlutrlc exumlnutlon und treutment und enter und remuln ln
u speclfled lnstltutlon, when requlred for thut purpose;
(e) pursue u prescrlbed seculur study or vocutlonul trulnlng;
(f) uttend or reslde ln u fuclllty estubllshed for lnstructlon, recreutlon or resldence of persons on
probutlon;
(g) refruln from vlsltlng houses of lll-repute;
(h) ubstuln from drlnklng lntoxlcutlng beveruges to excess;
(l) permlt to probutlon offlcer or un uuthorlzed soclul worker to vlslt hls home und pluce or work;
(|) reslde ut premlses upproved by lt und not to chunge hls resldence wlthout lts prlor wrltten upprovul;
or
(k) sutlsfy uny other condltlon reluted to the rehubllltutlon of the defendunt und not unduly restrlctlve
of hls llberty or lncomputlble wlth hls freedom of consclence.
Sectlon 11. Effectlvlty of Probutlon Order. A probutlon order shull tuke effect upon lts lssuunce, ut whlch tlme
the court shull lnform the offender of the consequences thereof und expluln thut upon hls fullure to comply wlth
uny of the condltlons prescrlbed ln the suld order or hls commlsslon of unother offense, he shull serve the
penulty lmposed for the offense under whlch he wus pluced on probutlon.
Sectlon 12. Modlflcutlon of Condltlon of Probutlon. Durlng the perlod of probutlon, the court muy, upon
uppllcutlon of elther the probutloner or the probutlon offlcer, revlse or modlfy the condltlons or perlod of
probutlon. The court shull notlfy elther the probutloner or the probutlon offlcer of the flllng such un uppllcutlon
so us to glve both purtles un opportunlty to be heurd thereon.
The court shull lnform ln wrltlng the probutlon offlcer und the probutloner of uny chunge ln the perlod or
condltlons of probutlon.
Sectlon 13. Control und Supervlslon of Probutloner. The probutloner und hls probutlon progrum shull be under
the control of the court who pluced hlm on probutlon sub|ect to uctuul supervlslon und vlsltutlon by u probutlon
offlcer.
Whenever u probutloner ls permltted to reslde ln u pluce under the |urlsdlctlon of unother court, control over
hlm shull be trunsferred to the Executlve Judge of the Court of Flrst Instunce of thut pluce, und ln such u cuse,
u copy of the probutlon order, the lnvestlgutlon report und other pertlnent records shull be furnlshed suld
Executlve Judge. Thereufter, the Executlve Judge to whom |urlsdlctlon over the probutloner ls trunsferred shull
huve the power wlth respect to hlm thut wus prevlously possessed by the court whlch grunted the probutlon.
Sectlon 14. Perlod of Probutlon.
(u) The perlod of probutlon of u defendunt sentenced to u term of lmprlsonment of not more thun one
yeur shull not exceed two yeurs, und ln ull other cuses, suld perlod shull not exceed slx yeurs.
(b) When the sentence lmposes u flne only und the offender ls mude to serve subsldlury lmprlsonment
ln cuse of lnsolvency, the perlod of probutlon shull not be less thun nor to be more thun twlce the totul
number of duys of subsldlury lmprlsonment us computed ut the rute estubllshed, ln Artlcle thlrty-nlne
of the Revlsed Penul Code, us umended.
Sectlon 15. Arrest of Probutloner; Subsequent Dlsposltlon. At uny tlme durlng probutlon, the court muy lssue u
wurrunt for the urrest of u probutloner for vlolutlon of uny of the condltlons of probutlon. The probutloner, once
urrested und detulned, shull lmmedlutely be brought before the court for u heurlng, whlch muy be lnformul und
summury, of the vlolutlon churged. The defendunt muy be udmltted to bull pendlng such heurlng. In such u
cuse, the provlslons regurdlng releuse on bull of persons churged wlth u crlme shull be uppllcuble to
probutloners urrested under thls provlslon. If the vlolutlon ls estubllshed, the court muy revoke or contlnue hls
probutlon und modlfy the condltlons thereof. If revoked, the court shull order the probutloner to serve the
sentence orlglnully lmposed. An order revoklng the grunt of probutlon or modlfylng the terms und condltlons
thereof shull not be uppeuluble.
Sectlon 16. Termlnutlon of Probutlon. After the perlod of probutlon und upon conslderutlon of the report und
recommendutlon of the probutlon offlcer, the court muy order the flnul dlschurge of the probutloner upon
flndlng thut he hus fulfllled the terms und condltlons of hls probutlon und thereupon the cuse ls deemed
termlnuted.
The flnul dlschurge of the probutloner shull operute to restore to hlm ull clvll rlghts lost or suspend us u result
of hls convlctlon und to fully dlschurge hls llublllty for uny flne lmposed us to the offense for whlch probutlon
wus grunted.
The probutloner und the probutlon offlcer shull euch be furnlshed wlth u copy of such order.
Sectlon 17. Confldentlullty of Records. The lnvestlgutlon report und the supervlslon hlstory of u probutloner
obtulned under thls Decree shull be prlvlleged und shull not be dlsclosed dlrectly or lndlrectly to unyone other
thun the Probutlon Admlnlstrutlon or the court concerned, except thut the court, ln lts dlscretlon, muy permlt
the probutloner of hls uttorney to lnspect the uforementloned documents or purts thereof whenever the best
lnterest of the probutloner muke such dlsclosure deslruble or helpful: Provlded, Further, Thut, uny government
offlce or ugency enguged ln the correctlon or rehubllltutlon of offenders muy, lf necessury, obtuln coples of
suld documents for lts offlclul use from the proper court or the Admlnlstrutlon.
Sectlon 18. The Probutlon Admlnlstrutlon. There ls hereby creuted under the Depurtment of Justlce un ugency
to be known us the Probutlon Admlnlstrutlon hereln referred to us the Admlnlstrutlon, whlch shull exerclse
generul supervlslon over ull probutloners.
The Admlnlstrutlon shull huve such stuff, operutlng unlts und personnel us muy be necessury for the proper
executlon of lts functlons.
Sectlon 19. Probutlon Admlnlstrutlon. The Admlnlstrutlon shull be heuded by the Probutlon Admlnlstrutor,
herelnufter referred to us the Admlnlstrutor, who shull be uppolnted by the Presldent of the Phlllpplnes. He
shull hold offlce durlng good behuvlor und shull not be removed except for cuuse.
The Admlnlstrutor shull recelve un unnuul sulury of ut leust forty thousund pesos. Hls powers und dutles shull
be to:
(u) uct us the executlve offlcer of the Admlnlstrutlon;
(b) exerclse supervlslon und control over ull probutlon offlcers;
(c) muke unnuul reports to the Secretury of Justlce, ln such form us the lutter muy prescrlbe,
concernlng the operutlon, udmlnlstrutlon und lmprovement of the probutlon system;
(d) promulgute, sub|ect to the upprovul of the Secretury of Justlce, the necessury rules relutlve to the
methods und procedures of the probutlon process;
(e) recommend to the Secretury of Justlce the uppolntment of the subordlnute personnel of hls
Admlnlstrutlon und other offlces estubllshed ln thls Decree; und
(f) generully, perform such dutles und exerclse such powers us muy be necessury or lncldentul to
uchleve the ob|ectlves of thls Decree.
Sectlon 20. Asslstunt Probutlon Admlnlstrutor. There shull be un Asslstunt Probutlon Admlnlstrutor who shull
usslst the Admlnlstrutor perform such dutles us muy be usslgned to hlm by the lutter und us muy be provlded
by luw. In the ubsence of the Admlnlstrutor, he shull uct us heud of the Admlnlstrutlon.
He shull be uppolnted by the Presldent of the Phlllpplnes und shull recelve un unnuul sulury of ut leust thlrty-slx
thousund pesos.
Sectlon 21. Quullflcutlons of the Admlnlstrutor und Asslstunt Probutlon Admlnlstrutor. To be ellglble for
Appolntment us Admlnlstrutor or Asslstunt Probutlon Admlnlstrutor, u person must be ut leust thlrty-flve yeurs
of uge, holder of u muster's degree or lts equlvulent ln elther crlmlnology, soclul work, correctlons, penology,
psychology, soclology, publlc udmlnlstrutlon, luw, pollce sclence, pollce udmlnlstrutlon, or reluted flelds, und
should huve ut leust flve yeurs of supervlsory experlence, or be u member of the Phlllpplne Bur wlth ut leust
seven yeurs of supervlsory experlence.
Sectlon 22. Reglonul Offlce; Reglonul Probutlon Offlcer. The Admlnlstrutlon shull huve reglonul offlces
orgunlzed ln uccordunce wlth the fleld servlce ureu putterns estubllshed under the Integruted Reorgunlzutlon
Plun.
Such reglonul offlces shull be heuded by u Reglonul Probutlon Offlcer who shull be uppolnted by Presldent of
the Phlllpplnes ln uccordunce wlth the Integruted Reorgunlzutlon Plun und upon the recommendutlon of the
Secretury of Justlce.
The Reglonul Probutlon Offlcer shull exerclse supervlslon und control over ull probutlon offlcer wlthln hls
|urlsdlctlon und such dutles us muy usslgned to hlm by the Admlnlstrutor. He shull huve un unnuul sulury of ut
leust twenty-four thousund pesos.
He shull, whenever necessury, be usslsted by un Asslstunt Reglonul Probutlon Offlcer who shull ulso be
uppolnted by the Presldent of the Phlllpplnes, upon recommendutlon of the Secretury of Justlce, wlth un unnuul
sulury of ut leust twenty thousund pesos.
Sectlon 23. Provlnclul und Clty Probutlon Offlcers. There shull be ut leust one probutlon offlcer ln euch
provlnce und clty who shull be uppolnted by the Secretury of Justlce upon recommendutlon of the
Admlnlstrutor und ln uccordunce wlth clvll servlce luw und rules.
The Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon Offlcer shull recelve un unnuul sulury of ut leust elghteen thousund four
hundred pesos.
Hls dutles shull be to:
(u) lnvestlgute ull persons referred to hlm for lnvestlgutlon by the proper court or the Admlnlstrutor;
(b) lnstruct ull probutloners under hls supervlslon of thut of the probutlon ulde on the terms und
condltlons of thelr probutlons;
(c) keep hlmself lnformed of the conduct und condltlon of probutloners under hls churge und use ull
sultuble methods to brlng ubout un lmprovement ln thelr conduct und condltlons;
(d) mulntuln u detulled record of hls work und submlt such wrltten reports us muy be requlred by the
Admlnlstrutlon or the court huvlng |urlsdlctlon over the probutloner under hls supervlslon;
(e) prepure u llst of quullfled resldents of the provlnce or clty where he ls usslgned who ure wllllng to
uct us probutlon uldes;
(f) supervlse the trulnlng of probutlon uldes und oversee the lutter's supervlslon of probutloners;
(g) exerclse supervlslon und control over ull fleld usslstunts, probutlon uldes und other personnel; und
(h) perform such dutles us muy be usslgned by the court or the Admlnlstrutlon.
Sectlon 24. Mlscelluneous Powers of Provlnclul und Clty Probutlon Offlcers. Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon
Offlcers shull huve the uuthorlty wlthln thelr terrltorlul |urlsdlctlon to udmlnlster ouths und ucknowledgments
und to tuke deposltlons ln connectlon wlth thelr dutles und functlons under thls Decree. They shull ulso huve,
wlth respect to probutloners under thelr cure, the powers of pollce offlcer.
Sectlon 25. Quullflcutlons of Reglonul, Asslstunt Reglonul, Provlnclul, und Clty Probutlon Offlcers. No person
shull be uppolnted Reglonul or Asslstunt Reglonul or Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon Offlcer unless he possesses
ut leust u buchelor's degree wlth u mu|or ln soclul work, soclology, psychology, crlmlnology, penology,
correctlons, pollce sclence, udmlnlstrutlon, or reluted flelds und hus ut leust three yeurs of experlence ln work
requlrlng uny of the ubovementloned dlsclpllnes, or ls u member of the Phlllpplne Bur wlth ut leust three yeurs
of supervlsory experlence.
Whenever pructlcuble, the Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon Offlcer shull be uppolnted from umong quullfled
resldents of the provlnce or clty where he wlll be usslgned to work.
Sectlon 26. Orgunlzutlon. Wlthln twelve months from the upprovul of thls Decree, the Secretury of Justlce shull
orgunlze the udmlnlstrutlve structure of the Admlnlstrutlon und the other ugencles creuted hereln. Durlng suld
perlod, he shull ulso determlne the stufflng putterns of the reglonul, provlnclul und clty probutlon offlces wlth
the end ln vlew of uchlevlng muxlmum efflclency und economy ln the operutlons of the probutlon system.
Sectlon 27. Fleld Asslstunts, Subordlnute Personnel, Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon Offlcers shull be usslsted by
such fleld usslstunts und subordlnute personnel us muy be necessury to enuble them to curry out thelr dutles
effectlvely.
Sectlon 28. Probutlon Aldes. To usslst the Provlnclul or Clty Probutlon Offlcers ln the supervlslon of
probutloners, the Probutlon Admlnlstrutor muy uppolnt cltlzens of good repute und problty to uct us probutlon
uldes.
Probutlon Aldes shull not recelve uny regulur compensutlon for servlces except for reusonuble truvel
ullowunce. They shull hold offlce for such perlod us muy be determlned by the Probutlon Admlnlstrutor. Thelr
quullflcutlons und muxlmum cuse louds shull be provlded ln the rules promulguted pursuunt to thls Decree.
Sectlon 29. Vlolutlon of Confldentlul Nuture of Probutlon Records. The penulty of lmprlsonment runglng from
slx months und one duy to slx yeurs und u flne runglng from hundred to slx thousund pesos shull be lmposed
upon uny person who vlolutes Sectlon 17 hereof.
Sectlon 30. Approprlutlons. There ls hereby uuthorlzed the upproprlutlon of the sum of Slx Mllllon Flve
Hundred Thousund Pesos or so much us muy be necessury, out of uny funds ln the Nutlonul Treusury not
otherwlse upproprluted, to curry out the purposes of thls Decree. Thereufter, the umount of ut leust Ten Mllllon
Flve Hundred Thousund Pesos or so much us muy be necessury shull be lncluded ln the unnuul upproprlutlons
of the nutlonul government.
Sectlon 31. Repeullng Cluuse. All provlslons of exlstlng luws, orders und regulutlons contrury to or lnconslstent
wlth thls Decree ure hereby repeuled or modlfled uccordlngly.
Sectlon 32. Sepurublllty of Provlslons. If uny purt, sectlon or provlslon of thls Decree shull be held lnvulld or
unconstltutlonul, no other purts, sectlons or provlslons hereof shull be uffected thereby.
Sectlon 33. Effectlvlty. Thls Decree shull tuke effect upon lts upprovul: Provlded, However, Thut, the
uppllcutlon of lts substuntlve provlslons concernlng the grunt of probutlon shull only tuke effect twelve months
ufter the certlflcutlon by the Secretury of Justlce to the Chlef Justlce of the Supreme Court thut the
udmlnlstrutlve structure of the Probutlon Admlnlstrutlon und of the other ugencles hus been orgunlzed.
DONE ln the Clty of Munllu, thls 24th duy of July ln the yeur of Our Lord, nlneteen hundred und seventy-slx.