To make sure the principle of rehabilitating offenders is not abused, Senator Robin Padilla seeks to exclude offenses – such as economic sabotage and offenses against minors – from the Indeterminate Sentence Law.
In Senate Bill 2453, Padilla noted that while the fundamental principle of the Indeterminate Sentence Law is to rehabilitate offenders, certain crimes are severe and serious enough to be excluded.
The legislator’s bill seeks to amend Act No. 4103, the Indeterminate Sentence Law.
It seeks to exclude from the coverage those convicted of economic sabotage and crimes against minors such as kidnapping (except by a parent), criminal sexual conduct, solicitation to engage in sexual conduct, sexual performance, and practice of prostitution, any conduct that by its nature a sexual offense, production or distribution of child pornography, child trafficking, and use of children in drug trafficking.
“If an individual is subject to imprisonment penalties according to specific laws unless there are exceptions, the court must mandate that the accused serve a minimum sentence.”
“More so, if an individual is subject to imprisonment penalties according to specific laws unless there are exceptions, the court must mandate that the accused serve a minimum sentence, which cannot be shorter than the statutory minimum for the offense, and a maximum sentence that does not surpass the legal maximum,” the lawmaker said.
Under the bill, the Board of Pardons and Parole shall look into the physical, mental and moral records of prisoners who shall be eligible for parole.
