By: Genalyn Kabiling
Persons involved in treason, sedition, rebellion and certain crimes in the Revised Penal Code could face stiffer penalties under a new law signed by President Duterte.
Republic Act No. 10951, signed by the President last August 29, has updated the penalties for certain grave, less grave and light felonies to reflect present conditions.
The new law introduced amendments to the Revised Penal Code to address the outdated penalties that were based on economic standards almost nine decades ago.
Under RA 10951, treason will carry the penalties of reclusion perpetua to death and a fine not exceeding P4 million, from the old amount of P20,000. Reclusion perpetua places a convict in prison from 20 to 40 years.
The penalties for sedition are prisión mayor in its minimum period and a fine not exceeding P2 million, from P10,000. Prisión mayor involves imprisonment from six years to 12 years.
Any person committing conspiracy to commit coup d’etat, rebellion or insurrection will be punished by prisión mayor in its minimum period and a fine as much as P1 million, from previous fine of P8,000.
The new law also updated the maximum fines for direct assault to P200,000 from P1,000; for maltreatment of prisoners to P100,000 from P500; for unlawful arrest to P100,000 thousand from P500; for falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents to P1 million from P5,000.
The penalties for malversation of public funds range from prison correccional to reclusion perpetua if the misused funds range from P40,000 to more than P8.8 million.