Commonwealth Act No.
616 - AN ACT TO PUNISH Section 1: Unlawfully obtaining or permitting to be obtained
ESPIONAGE AND OTHER OFFENSES AGAINST
NATIONAL SECURITY
DEFINITION OF TERMS (Section 15)
 War or national defense material – arms, armament,
ammo, livestock, food, supplies, and all other articles of
whatever description and any part suitable for the use of the
Phils. and US in connection with the conduct of war or
national defense.
 War or national defense premises – shall include bldg,
grounds, mines or other places wherein such war or national
defense material is being produced, used, manufacture,
repaired, stored, extracted, together with all the machinery
and appliances therein contained; AND all ports, arsenals,
navy yards, camps and other military, naval, or air stations.
 War or national defense utilities - shall include roads,
railroads, railways, fixture, machine, boat or any other
means of transpo whatsoever, whereon or whereby such war
or national defense material or any troops of the Philippines
or US (or any associate nation) are being transported or upon
the high seas; AND all dams, reservoirs, aqueducts whereby
water, gas, oil or any other fluid being furnished to any war
or national defense premises of the Phils, US
 Associate nation - ally
 Foreign government- any government, faction or body of
insurgents within a country which the Phils. is at peace or
may not have been recognized by the Phils or us as a
government.
information affecting national defense.
a) Whoever for the purpose of obtaining information respecting
national defense with intent or reason to believe that the
information to be obtained it to be used to the injury of the
Philippines/US or to advantage any other nation, goes upon,
enters or obtains info concerning any vessel… or other place
connected with the national defense under control of the
Philippines or of the US, or any place in which any vessel,
aircraft, ammo for the use in time of war are being made or
any prohibited place within the meaning of section 6 hereof;
b) Whoever copies, takes, makes or obtains or aids another to
copy, take, make or obtain any sketch, photograph, note, etc
of anything connected with the national defense.
c) Whoever receives or obtains or agrees, or attempts or
induces or aids another to receive or obtain from any person,
or from any source whatever of anything connected with the
national defense, knowing or having reason to believe that at
the time he receives or obtains or it has been taken or
obtained by any person, that it is contrary to the provisions
of this Act;
d) Whoever, lawfully or unlawfully having possession of ,
access to, control over with any document, photo, code book,
blue print, relating to the national defense, willfully
communicate or transmit to any person not entitled to
receive it and fails to deliver it to an officer of Philippines of
USA.
e) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession
or control of any document, relating to the national defense,
through negligence permits the sane to be removes from its
proper place of custody.

*Penalty: shall be punished by imprisonment for not more
than 10 years and fine of 10,000.00
Section 2. Unlawful disclosing information affecting national
defense.
a) Whoever, with intent or reason to believe that it be used for
the injury of the Phils and US or to the advantage of foreign
nation, communicates, delivers, transmits to any foreign
government, any document, book, instrument.
*Penalty: imprisonment for not more than 20 years if
committed in time of peace, or death or imprisonment for not
more than 30 years in time of war.
b) Whoever, in time of war with intent that the same shall be
communicated to the enemy, shall collect, record, publish, or
communicate any information with respect to the movement,
number, description, or war materials of the Phils/US or
plans of conduct of any military measures for defense of any
defense which might be useful to the enemy.
*Penalty: death or imprisonment for not more than 30 years.
Section 3. Disloyal Acts or works in time of peace.
It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to interfere with,
impair or influence the loyalty, morale or discipline of the military,
naval forcer of the Philippines or US:
a) To advise, counsel, urge or in any manner cause
insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny or refusal of duty by any
member of the air forces of the Philippines or US distribute
any written or printed matter which advises, counsels, or
urges insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny of duty by any
member of the forces of the Philippines or of the United
states.
b) To distribute any written or printed matter which advises,
counsels, our urges insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny or
refusal of duty by any member of the military forces of the
Phils or US.
*Penalty: imprisonment for 10 years and fine not more than
10,000.00
Section 4. Disloyal Acts or words in time of war.
Whoever, when the Philippines or US is at war, shall willfully make
or convey false reports or false statements with the intent, to interfere
with the operation or success of the military of the Philippines/US or
to promote the success of its enemies; obstruct the recruitment or
enlistment servuce of the Philippines
*Penalty: imprisonment for not more than 20 years and/or fine of
20,000.00
5 Conspiracy to violate preceding sections
*Act of one is the act or all - each be punished the same
Section 6. Harboring or concealing violators of law
Whoever harbors or conceals any person who has committed or is
about to commit, an offense under this act

*Penalty: imprisonment not more than 10 years and fine 10,000.00
Section 7. Designation of Prohibited Places by proclamation
the president of the Philippines in time or war or national emergency
may designate any place other than those set forth in section 1 (a) in
which anything be for the use of the army, nacy or airforces are
being prepared Provided that he shall determine that info as being
prejudicial to national defense.
Section 8. Photographing, etc. defensive installations regulated.
Whenever, in the interests of the natl defense, the president shall
define certain vital military (etc) installations as requiring protection
against the general dissemination of information relative theret0,
shall be unlawful to take photos, sketch without first obtaining
permission of the commanding officer of the military, naval or
airport. (and must submit such item to the authorities).
*Penalties: not more than 1 year and fine of 2,000/.00
Section 9. Photographing etc. from aircraft.
Any person who uses or permits the use of an aircraft for the purpose
of making a photograph, sketch etc of vital military naval or air
installations in violation of section 8 shall be liable to such penalty
provided.
Section 10. Reproducting, publishing, selling, etc uncensored
copies.
After the president of the Phils shall have defines any vital military,
intallation as being within the category in Section 8, shall be
unlawful for him to reproduce, publish, sell any photograph, sketch
etc of such equipment without obtaining permission from
commanding officer concerned.
*Penalty: as provided in Section 8 -> Imprisonment not more than 1
year or fine of not more than 2,000.00 pesos.
Section 11. Destroying or injuring or attempting to destroy war
materinal IN TIME OF WAR.
When the Phils or US is at war, whoever intents to injure, interfere or
obstruct the Phils., US, or any associate nation for carrying on the
war –shall attempt to so injure or destroy any war material, war
premises or utilites
*Penalty: not more than 30 years and/or fine 30,000.00
Section 12. Making or causing war material to be made defective
When the Phils or US is AT WAR, whoever who intents to injure,
interfere with, or obstruct the Philippines, US or associate nation in
preparing on the war - shall wilfully make or cause to be made in a
deffective manner any war material – tool, implement, machine,
utensul or receptacle used or employed in making, producing,
repairing any such war material
*Penalty: not more than 30 years and/or fine 30,000.00
Section 13. Injuring or destroying national defense material,
premises or utilities
Whoever, with intent to interfere with or obstruct, the national
defense of the Phils or US or attempt to do so
*Penalty: Imprisonment not more than 10 years and/or fine 10, 000

Section 14. Making or causing to be made in a defective manner

national defense material

Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere or obstruct national defense

of the Philippines or US shall willfully make or cause to be made
defective any national defense material (tool, receptacle, etc)

*Penalty: imprisonment not more than 10 years and/fine of 10,000