National Unity Party (NUP) president LRay Villafuerte is eyeing tougher action against so-called “hoodlums in uniform” by slapping a higher penalty against law enforcers and other persons of authority proven to be involved in covering up heinous crimes.
In House Bill (HB) No.7972, Villafuerte wants to amend Article 19 of the Penal Code by imposing a higher jail term of reclusion temporal or 12 to 20 years on persons of authority found guilty of facilitating or ordering the destruction or concealment of vital evidence in heinous offenses such as drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping and rape.
If HB 7972 becomes a law, and the penalty on accessories to heinous offenses is raised to one degree, instead of the current two degrees, lower than the principal offenders, then the guilty ones will be slapped the penalty of reclusion temporal.
“Persons in authority are charged with the maintenance of public order and the protection and security of life and property,” said Villafuerte, the representative of CamSur’s second district who authored HB 7972 with Bicol Saro Rep. and former interior and local government assistant secretary Brian Raymund Yamsuan.
“However, there are instances when the persons in authority themselves facilitated or ordered the destruction or concealment of vital evidence used in heinous crimes,” he added.
Hence, said the former CamSur governor, HB 7972 “seeks to prescribe a higher penalty for persons in authority who directly caused or ordered the destruction or concealment of vital evidence for heinous crimes.”
If HB 7972 becomes a law, it will amend Article 19 of the Penal Code by adding this paragraph: “Where the offense is a heinous crime under existing laws and is committed by persons in authority, they shall suffer the penalty of one degree lower than that prescribed by law for the consummated felony.”
At present, the Penal Code imposes a jail sentence of 20 to 40 years on those found guilty of committing heinous crimes.
As for accessories to heinous crimes, they are slapped under this Code with a penalty of two degrees lower than that prescribed by law against the principal offenders; hence, the prison sentence of 6 to 12 years.
But if HB 7972 becomes a law, and the penalty on accessories to heinous offenses is raised to one degree, instead of the current two degrees, lower than the principal offenders, then the guilty ones will be slapped the penalty of reclusion temporal.
Republic Act (RA) 7659 includes among heinous crimes the offenses of importation, distribution, manufacture and possession of illegal drugs; treason; rape; qualified bribery; murder, parricide and infanticide; piracy and mutiny on the high seas in Philippine waters; destructive arson; kidnapping and serious illegal detention; and robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons.
Once passed into law, this Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
