Higher fines can now be levied after penal code gets amended

PENALTIES AND fines imposed by the Revised Penal Code (RPC) have been adjusted to current economic standards after President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved amendments to the 85-year-old law.

The fresh law amended the penalties and fines under the code, known as Act 3815, to correspond to the current value of property and damage on which a penalty or fine is based.

Under RA 10951, signed by Mr. Duterte on Aug. 29 and released by Malacañang on Thursday, the maximum fine on high crimes like conspiracy and proposal to commit coup d’etat, rebellion, or insurrection increased from P5,000 to P1 million.

The new law also updated penalties for maltreatment of prisoners, unlawful arrest and indirect assault from P500 to P100,000. Penalties for falsification of documents has been adjusted from P5,000 to P1 million.

Meanwhile, any person publishing “false news” that may endanger public order will be punished with a fine ranging from P40,000 to P200,000 from the previous P200 to P1,000.

Act 3815 amended the penalties in the penal code which were based on the value of money in 1932, when it was first enacted.

The Supreme Court itself and several lawmakers had previously recognized the need to revise the RPC to stop the injustices caused by the Act’s outdated figures.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, sponsor and author of the bill, had said the measure would have a “retroactive” effect.

Amendments to RPC would benefit about 54,189 mostly poor inmates, Mr. 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,” he said.