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PREFACE

This sequel to the Notes and Cases on Special Penal Laws is


made necessary by the fast pace with which Congress has been
enacting special penal statutes. Man has really become more prolific
in committing crimes of every conceivable form and nature. Indeed,
special laws dealing with new crimes and extraordinary forms of
criminality have abounded such that a more focused volume is
desirable.
One can only hope for an end to violence and the emergence of
peace and security. But then as long as this system of things exists
one thing is sure righteousness cannot be legislated into the heart
of man.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface

................................................................................

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Introduction ............................................................................

Definitions ......................................................................
Rules of Construction ....................................................

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Relationship Between Special Penal Laws and the


Revised Penal Code ......................................

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Applicability of the Revised Penal Code


on Special Laws ............................................
Intent of the Offender ...................................................
On Criminal Liability of Offenders ..............................
On System of Penalties .................................................
Death Penalty ................................................................
Republic Act No. 9346 ...........................................
Principles of the Code Applicable to Special Laws .....
Delito Continuado ..........................................................
Preventive Penalties ......................................................
R.A. No. 6036 Bail not required in certain cases
(August 4, 1969) ...........................................
Hold Departure Orders .................................................
Conspiracy ......................................................................
Appeals ...........................................................................
Civill Liability/Damages ................................................
Statutory Construction ..................................................

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Jurisdictional Rules and Principles ......................................

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Supreme Court ...............................................................


Court of Appeals ............................................................
Sandiganbayan ...............................................................
R.A. No. 8249 Jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan .............................................
Office of the Ombudsman .............................................
R.A. No. 6770 .........................................................
Special laws affecting penalties ............................................

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Republic Act No. 9344 ...................................................


Act No. 4103 Indeterminate Sentence Law ..............
Supreme Court Circular No. 66-97 ..............................
P.D. No. 968 Probation Law ......................................
Act No. 3326 Act Establishing Prescriptive Periods
For Violations of Special Laws and Municipal
Ordinances .............................................................

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106
107

Special Penal Laws ................................................................

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P.D. No. 1866 as amended by R.A. No. 8294 ................


R.A. No. 3553 An act to prohibit the possession
of deadly arrow ......................................................
R.A. No. 7610 Child Abuse Law ................................
Republic Act. No. 9231 ..................................................
Republic Act No. 9208 Anti-Trafficking in Persons
Act of 2003 .............................................................
R.A. No. 9262 Anti-Violence against Women
And Children .........................................................
R.A. No. 7877 Sexual Harassment Law ...................
R.A. No. 8049 Hazing Regulation Act .......................
R.A. No. 4200 Anti-Wire Tapping Law ......................
P. D. No. 115 The Trust Receipts Law ......................
P.D. No. 818 Estafa by Means of Bouncing Checks .

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B.P. Blg. 22 An Act Penalizing the Making or Drawing


and Issuance of a Check without Sufficient
Funds or Credit ..............................................................
Administrative Circular No. 13-2001 ....................................
P.D. No. 1689 Increasing the Penalty for certain
forms of Swindling or Estafa ........................................
P.D. No. 1612 Anti-Fencing Law of 1979 ...........................
P.D. No. 1613 Amending the Law on Arson ......................
R.A. No. 6539 Anti-Carnapping .........................................
R.A. No. 8042 Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino
Act of 1995 .....................................................................
P.D. No. 532 Anti-Piracy and Anti-Highway Robbery
Law of 1974 ....................................................................
P.D. No. 533 The Anti-Cattle Rustling Law of 1974 ........
R.A. No. 8293 Intellectual Property Code .........................
R.A. No. 7080 Plunder Law ................................................
R.A. No. 3019 Anti-Graft Law ............................................
R.A. No. 1379 Forfeiture of Property found to have
Been Unlawfully Acquired ............................................
R.A. No. 6713 Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards
For Public Officials and Employees ..............................
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157
165
193
198
203
208
222

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263
277
298
306
312
318
327
359
364

P.D. No. 46 Making it Punishable for Public


Officials and Employees to Receive, and for
Private Persons to Give Gifts on any Occasion,
including Christmas ......................................................
P.D. No.1445 State Audit Code of the Philippines ...........
R.A. No. 7653 The New Central Bank Act ........................
R.A. No. 7438 Custodial Investigation ..............................
R.A. No. 6235 Anti-Hijacking Law ....................................

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389
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R.A. No. 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs


Act of 2002 .....................................................................
C.A. No. 142 Regulating the Use of Aliases ......................
B.P. Blg. 881 Omnibus Election Code ................................
R.A. No. 75 Immunities, Rights, and Privileges
of duly Accredited Foreign Diplomatic and
Consular Agents in the Philippines .............................
P.D No. 1829 Obstruction of Justice ..................................
R.A. No. 9160 Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 .........
R.A. No. 9194 ..........................................................................

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Rules and Regulations Implementing the Anti-Money


Laundering Act of 2001 .................................................
R.A. No. 9287 Gambling and Illegal Lottery ...................
R.A. No. 9184 ..........................................................................
R.A. No. 8550 Illegal Fishing Act of 1998 ........................
P.D. No. 705 Forestry Code ...............................................

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APPENDICES
Appendix A R.A. 9372 Human Security Act .................
Appendix B R.A. No. 8485 Animal Welfare
Act of 1998 .....................................................................

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General Index .........................................................................

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Case Index ..............................................................................

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INTRODUCTION
DEFINITIONS
Special Penal Laws are laws that define and penalize crimes
not included in the Revised Penal Code; these crimes are of a nature
different from those defined and punished in the Code. For instance,
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9165 amending the Dangerous Drugs Act,
R.A. No. 6425, is not covered under any provisions of the Code. It is a
purely special law, hence, the Code has no suppletory application.
On the other hand, laws which merely amend the provisions of the
Revised Penal Code, such as Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 533, the
Anti-Cattle Rustling Law which amended Articles 308, 309, and 310
are not considered special penal laws. Thus, cattle rustling is still
malum in se. (Taer vs. CA, G.R. No. 85204, June 18, 1990)
Crimes mala prohibita are acts or omissions which are made
evil because there is a law prohibiting the same. They are generally
punished by special laws. These would not be wrong but for the fact
that positive law forbids them. In this case, the only question asked
is, has the law been violated? When the act is illegal, intent of the
offender is immaterial. (Dunlao vs. CA, G.R. No. 111343, August 22,
1996) In contrast, crimes mala in se are acts or omissions which
are inherently evil. Generally, crimes mala in se are punished under
the Revised Penal Code.
Crimes mala in se and mala prohibita are distinguished in the
following manner:
In crimes mala in se:
1.

The basis of criminal liability is the moral fiber of the


offender hence, good faith or lack of criminal intent is a
defense.

2.

Modifying circumstances are taken into account in


imposing the penalty on the offender precisely because his
moral trait is the basis of this crime.
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NOTES AND CASES ON SPECIAL PENAL LAWS

3.

The degree of participation determines the penalty


imposable so that it is computed on the basis of whether
he is a principal offender, or merely an accomplice or
accessory.

4.

The stage of accomplishment affects the penalty imposed


thus the penalty depends on whether the crime is
consummated, frustrated, or attempted.

5.

Generally, crimes mala in se are punishable under the


Revised Penal Code.

In mala prohibita:
1.

The basis of criminal liability is the offenders


voluntariness, hence, good faith or lack of criminal intent
is not accepted as a defense, unless this is an element of
the crime such as in Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019, the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act.

2.

Modifying circumstances are not considered because the


law intends to discourage the commission of the act
specially prohibited.

3.

The degree of participation of the offenders do not affect


their liability hence the penalty on all of them are the same
for they are all considered principals, unless the law
expressly considers them as accomplices, as in abettors of
brigandage in P.D. No. 532.

4.

The stage of accomplishment considered is only when the


crime is accomplished or consummated. There is no
attempted or frustrated stage because it is the commission
of the act itself that is prohibited and penalized.

5.

Generally, crimes mala prohibita involve violations of


special penal laws.

In determining whether or not a criminal act involves moral


turpitude courts are guided by one of the general rules that crimes
mala in se involve moral turpitude while crimes mala prohibita do
not. The rationale of this was set forth in Zari vs. Flores (94 SCRA
317) to wit: it implies something immoral in itself, regardless of the
fact that it (moral turpitude) is punishable by law or not. It must not
be merely mala prohibita, but the act itself must be inherently immoral. The doing of the act itself, and not its prohibition by statutes
fixes the moral turpitude. Moral turpitude does not, however, include

INTRODUCTION

such acts as are not of themselves immoral but whose illegality lies
in its positively being prohibited.
A mala in se felony (such as reckless imprudence resulting in
damage to property) cannot absorb mala prohibita crimes (such as
those violating P.D. No. 1067, P.D. No. 984, and R.A. No. 7942). What
makes the former a felony is criminal intent (dolo) or negligence
(culpa); what makes the latter crimes are the special laws enacting
them. (Loney vs. People, G.R. No. 152644, February 10, 2006)
Heinous crimes are grievous, odious and hateful offenses
which by reason of their inherent or manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity, are regarded as seriously outrageous
to the common standards or norms of decency and morality in a just,
civilized and orderly society. [Whereas clause, R.A. No. 7659]
Penalties are the punishment imposed by lawful authority
upon a person who commits a deliberate or negligent act. (Moreno,
Philippine Law Dictionary, Third ed., citing from People vs. Moran,
44 Phil. 431) Penalties are prescribed by statutes and are essentially
and exclusively legislative. Judges can only interpret and apply the
laws and have no authority to modify them or revise their range as
determined exclusively by the legislature. (People vs. dela Cruz, G.R.
No. 100386, December 11, 1992)
Only those penalties which have been prescribed by law prior
to its commission may be imposed upon an offender. (Article 21, Revised Penal Code) Unless there is a law penalizing an act or omission, that act or omission cannot be penalized, no matter how reprehensible it may be. Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege. There is no
crime when there is no law that defines and penalizes it.
For instance, in Padilla vs. CA, G.R. No. 121917, March 12, 1997,
petitioner faults respondent court in applying P.D. No. 1866 in a
democratic ambience (sic) and a non-subversive context and adds
that respondent court should have applied instead the previous laws
on illegal possession of firearms since the reason for the penalty imposed under P.D. No. 1866 no longer exists. He stresses that the penalty of 17 years and 4 months to 21 years for simple illegal possession of firearm is cruel and excessive in contravention of the Constitution.
The contentions do not merit serious consideration. The trial
court and the respondent court are bound to apply the governing
law at the time of the commission of the offense for it is a rule that
only subsequent ones repeal laws. Indeed, it is the duty of judicial

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