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History o

PROBATION
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
Efforts were made to mitigate the harshness of

penal laws through more enlightened and

rehabilitative approaches in the treatment and

correction of offenders.

1932
Provisions for juvenile probation has been

embodied in Article 80 of the Revised Penal

Code. Thus, sentence was suspended for

offenders under 16 years of age accused of

a grave or less grave felony

AUGUST 7, 1935
This created a Probation Office under the

Department of Justice, and provided probation

for first offenders 18 years of age and above

who were convicted of certain crimes.

Unfortunately, there were defects in the law’s

procedural framework

NOVEMBER 16, 1937

Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in

the case of People of the Philippines vs. Vera

on the grounds of “undue delegation of

legislative power” and violation of the “equal

protection of the law” clause.

1972
House Bill No. 393 was filed in Congress.

Passed in the Lower House, this was

pending in the Senate when Martial Law

was proclaimed in 1972.

1973
prepared a proposed Probation Decree which

incorporated pertinent provisions of the

Natividad and Laurel Bills.

DECEMBER 10, 1974

Ammended 1974 by Presidential Decree No.

603, known as the Child and Youth Welfare

Code, and by Presidential Decree No. 1179

which set the age of minority to below 18 years

of age at the time of the commission of the

offense.

1975
Establishment of an Adult Probation System in

the country was endorsed.

JULY 24, 1976

The law was born known as the Probation Law

of 1976.

NOVEMBER 23, 1989

Under Executive Order No. 292, “The

Administrative Code of 1987, the

Probation Administration was renamed

“Parole and Probation Administration”.