15WeirdLawsFilipinosStillHaveToLiveWith
filipiknow.net /weirdlawsinthephilippines/
7/24/2014
Justliketherestoftheworld,Philippinesalsohasitsveryownsetoflawsthatarestrange,outdatedorjustsound
outrightwrongtomodernears.
Whilesomeoftheselawsareprettyselfexplanatory,agoodchunkrequiremorethanjustacursoryglanceforoneto
understandthem.Itsevenmoresurprisingtoknowthatmost,ifnotall,ofthelawslistedbelowarestillineffect
today,soitsprobablyagoodideatogettoknowmoreaboutthem,lestyouendupinadvertentlybreakingone.
Afterall,ignoranceofthelawexcusesnoone.
15.Marriageextinguishescriminalliabilityofrape.
RepublicAct8353(TheAntiRapeLawof1997),whichwasahugeleapforwardinthecountrysdriveagainstrapists,
unfortunatelyhadatinysetback,specificallyArticle266SectionCwhichstates:
Thesubsequentvalidmarriagebetweentheoffendedpartyshallextinguishthecriminalactionorthepenalty
imposed.Incaseitisthelegalhusbandwhoistheoffender,thesubsequentforgivenessbythewifeastheoffended
partyshallextinguishthecriminalactionorthepenalty:Provided,thatthecrimeshallnotbeextinguishedorthe
penaltyshallnotbeabatedifthemarriageisvoidabinitio.
TheoffenderbeingfreefromcriminalliabilityaftermarryingthevictimistiedcloselytoaSpanisheraprovisioninthe
RevisedPenalCode,specificallyArticle344whichstatesincasesofseduction,abduction,actsoflasciviousness
andrape,themarriageoftheoffenderwiththeoffendedpartyshallextinguishthecriminalactionorremitthepenalty
alreadyimposeduponhim.
Astotheforgivenessthing,therationalebehinditistoaffordtheoffendinghusbandachancetostartanewwithhis
wife.
14.Adults(2125yearolds)stillneedadvicefromtheirparentsbeforegettingmarried.
Forcouplesofthisparticularagecategory,Article15oftheFamilyCodestatesthat:
Anycontractingpartybetweentheageoftwentyoneandtwentyfiveshallbeobligedtoasktheirparentsor
guardianforadviceupontheintendedmarriage.Iftheydonotobtainsuchadvice,oritbeunfavorable,themarriage
licenseshallnotbeissuedtillafterthreemonthsfollowingthecompletionofthepublicationoftheapplicationthere
for.Aswornstatementbythecontractingpartiestotheeffectthatsuchadvicehasbeensought,togetherwiththe
writtenadvicegiven,ifany,shallbeattachedtotheapplicationformarriagelicense.Shouldtheparentsorguardian
refusetogiveanyadvice,thisfactshallbestatedintheswornstatement.
Althoughtechnicallyitdoesntbartheapplicantsfrommarrying,the90dayruleontheissuanceofthemarriage
licensemeansthecouplewhodidnotgetpositiveparentaladvice(notunfavorable)wouldhavetowaitanotherthree
monthsbeforegettingthemarriagelicense,aformalrequisitetogettinghitched.
Theruleismeanttogivethemtimetochangetheopposingparentsmindaswellasprovidethemaperiodtodecide
iftheywanttogothroughwiththemarriageornot.
13.Anelectiontiewillhavetobebrokenbydrawingoflots.
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Duringthelast2013generalelections,twocandidatesliterallytossedacoinforthemayorshipofthetownofSan
Teodoro,OrientalMindoroafterbothmenwounduptiedintherace.
Whilethewholemethodmaylookwhimsical,itsactuallycoveredbytheOmnibusElectionCodewhichstatesthat
theboardofcanvassersshallproceedtothedrawingoflotsofthecandidateswhohavetiedandshallproclaimas
electedthecandidateswhomaybefavoredbyluck
ItsalsosupportedbyComelecResolutionNo.9648whereintheBoardimmediatelynotifythesaidcandidatesto
appearbeforethemforthedrawingoflotstobreakthetie.Thedrawingoflotsshouldbeconductedwithinone(1)
hourafterissuanceofnoticebytheBoardtothecandidatesconcerned.
Apparently,drawingoflotsisnotuniquetoourelectoralsystemseveralstatesintheUSusethemethodaswell.
12.Youcanstillgetjailedforoffendingreligiousfeelings.
Thisobscurepenallaw,whichdatesbacktothereligiouslyferventSpanisheraandwhichwasthemaincharge
againstCarlosCeldran,statesthatthepenaltyofarrestomayorinitsmaximumperiodtoprisioncorreccionalinits
minimumperiodshallbeimposeduponanyonewho,inaplacedevotedtoreligiousworshiporduringthecelebration
ofanyreligiousceremony,shallperformactsnotoriouslyoffensivetothefeelingsofthefaithful.Itcanbefoundin
Article133oftheRevisedPenalCode.
11.Widowsmustobserve301dayrulebeforemarryingagain.
Section351oftheRevisedPenalCodestatesthatanywidowwhoshallmarrywithinthreehundredandoneday
fromthedateofthedeathofherhusband,orbeforehavingdeliveredifsheshallhavebeenpregnantatthetimeof
hisdeath,shallbepunishedbyarrestomayorandafinenotexceeding500pesos.
Therationalebehindthiswastopreventconfusionastothepaternityandfiliationofthechild,ineffectmakingthis
alsoanenforcedmourningperiodforwomenaccordingtoitscriticswhosaythattheadventofmoderntechnology
whichmakespaternitytestingreadilyavailablehasrenderedthislawobsolete.
SenatorNancyBinaycurrentlyhasabilltryingtorepealit.
10.Youcannotownadeadlypana.
Oneofthemoreobscurelawsmadeduringthe1960swasRepublicActNo.3553,ortheAntiPanaLaw.
Underthislaw,anyonewhopossessesadeadlyarroworpanawithoutpermitfromacity,municipal,ormunicipal
districtmayor,shallbepunishedbyimprisonmentforaperiodofnotlessthanthirtydaysnormorethansixmonths.
ThephrasedeadlyarroworpanaasusedinthisActmeansanyarrowordartthatwhenshotfromablowor
slingshotcancauseinjuryordeathofaperson.
However,anyonewhousesthepanaforhislivelihoodcanstillapplyforapermitfromhis/hermayor.Were
guessingtheincreasingnumberofpanaincidentsspurredthecreationofthislaw.
9.Yourfamilymembersandinlawswhocommittheft,swindling,andmaliciousmischiefagainst
youarenotcriminallyliable.
Article332oftheRevisedPenalCodestatesthatNocriminal,butonlycivilliabilityshallresultfromthecommission
ofthecrimeoftheft,swindling,ormaliciousmischiefcommittedorcausedmutuallybythefollowingpersons:1.
Spouses,ascendantsanddescendants,orrelativesbyaffinityinthesameline2.Thewidowedspousewithrespect
tothepropertywhichbelongedtothedeceasedspousebeforethesameshallhavepassedintothepossessionof
anotherand3.Brothersandsistersandbrothersinlawandsistersinlaw,iflivingtogether.
6/12/2017 15WeirdLawsFilipinosStillHaveToLiveWith
Astowhytheoffendedpartycannotpursuecriminalcharges,itisonthegroundofpreservingfamilyharmonyand
solidarity.
8.Squattingisnotacrime.
RepublicAct8368ortheAntiSquattingLawRepealActof1997repealedformerPresidentMarcosPresidential
DecreeNo.772whichpenalizedsquatting,technicallymakingitanoncrimeasoftodayonthebasisthatsquatters
arealsovictimsofanunequaljusticeandsocialsystem.
Asasmallconsolationtothehaplesspropertyownershowever,theactstillpenalizesprofessionalsquattersand
syndicatesaccordingtotheprovisionsofanothercontroversiallaw,RepublicAct7279,whichisbetterknownasthe
LinaLaw.
7.MetroManilahasaconvolutedtrafficscheme.
FirstimplementedbytheMMDAin1995,theUnifiedVehicleVolumeReductionProgramsoriginalpurposewasto
decreasetrafficcongestioninthemetropolisthroughanumbercodingscheme.
Vehicleswithlicenseplatesendinginacertainnumberwerenotallowedonthestreetsinaparticularday.Sincethen
however,motoristshaveoftencomplainedabouttheconfusionbroughtonbycitiesimplementingtheirownvariations
(colorcodingincluded)ofthescheme.
6.Ourimmigrationlawsareridiculouslyancient.
CommonwealthActNo.613ortheimmigrationlawreeksofantiquity,consideringitwasmadeandimplementedin
1940.
AmongthemanyoutdatedsectionsincludeSection29Awhichdeniesentrytoforeignerssufferingfrominsanity,
loathsomeordangerouscontagiousdiseases,orepilepsy.Italsoexcludespaupers,vagrants,beggars,orpersons
whopracticepolygamyorwhobelieveinoradvocatethepracticeofpolygamy.
Abillrightnowisbeingpushedtoupdatethisdecadesoldlaw.
5.Womengetchargedwithadultery,mengetchargedwithconcubinage.
OnelookatArticle333and334oftheRevisedPenalCodeandyoucanseewhythelawtendstobestackedagainst
women.
Chargingahusbandforanextramaritalaffairincourtisinfinitelyhardertoprovesincethewomanhastoproveany
orallofthefollowing:a.Hehaskeptamistressintheconjugaldwelling,b.Heshallhavesexualintercoursewitha
womanwhoisnothiswifeunderscandalouscircumstances,and/orc.Heshallcohabitwithherinanyotherplace.
Andevenwhenthehusbandisconvicted,hewillatmostserveasentenceofonlysixmonthstofouryearswhilehis
mistresswouldonlybeslappedwithdestierroorbanishment.
Ontheotherhand,proofofsexualintercoursebetweenhiswifeandanothermanisallahusbandneedstocharge
thembothwithadulterywhichcancarryapenaltyoftwotosixyears.
Astowhythepenaltyforadulteryisheavier,itisarguedthatanillicitaffairbetweenawifeandherparamourcould
resultinanillegitimatechildwhowouldbecometheunknowinghusbandsspuriousheir.
4.Annoyingpeoplecanbechargedforbeingmerelyannoying.
6/12/2017 15WeirdLawsFilipinosStillHaveToLiveWith
SecondparagraphofArticle287statesthatanyothercoercionsorunjustvexationsshallbepunishedbyarresto
menororafinerangingfrom5pesosto200pesos,orboth.
Bothlegalexpertsandlaymenhavecondemnedunjustvexationasanambiguouscatchallprovisionwithnospecific
meaning,merelysomethingtochargeannoyingpeoplewith.
3.TheStatewilldoitsdarndesttogetacoupletostaymarried.
Everwonderwhy,Catholicculturenotwithstanding,itssohardforcouplestogetawayfromlovelessorhopeless
marriagesinthePhilippines?
ItisbecausetheStateismandatedtodosoaccordingtoSection2,ArticleXVofthe1987Constitutionwhichstates
thatmarriage,asaninviolablesocialinstitution,isthefoundationofthefamilyandshallbeprotectedbytheState.
AlandmarkdecisionbytheSupremeCourtin1997upheldthisprovisionwhenitstatedthatanydoubtshouldbe
resolvedinfavoroftheexistenceandcontinuationofthemarriageandagainstitsdissolutionandnullity.Inthevery
samecase,thehighcourtalsoorderedinferiorcourtstorequiretheappearanceofafiscalandanagentfromthe
SolicitorGeneralsofficeasacounseltorepresenttheStateduringannulmenthearingsandwritewhetherhe/she
approvesoftheannulmentornot.
Inotherwords,theStatewillalwaysbethethirdpartyinanymarriagebetweenindividuals.
2.Westilldoleoutexcessivepenaltiesforlibel.
PerhapsnootherlawoflatehasgarneredasmuchcontroversyasRepublicActNo.10175ortheCybercrimeLaw,
specificallythepartwhereitpunisheslibel.
ThecorrespondingpenaltiescanbefoundinArticle355oftheRevisedPenalCode.Criticshavecalleditanarchaic
andoutdatedprovisiondatingbacktotheSpanisherawherehonorwashighlyprizedandduelswereoftencommon.
Nowadaysitsbeingabusedbygovernmentofficialsasashieldagainstcriticisms.EventheUnitedNationsHuman
RightsCouncildeclaredthepenaltiesasexcessiveandwhiletherearemovestodecriminalizelibel,wemayhaveto
waitquiteawhilebeforeitbecomesathingofthepast.
1.Youcanlegallykillpeople.
UnderArticle247oftheRevisedCode,anyonewhohavingsurprisedhisspouseintheactofcommittingsexual
intercoursewithanotherperson,shallkillanyofthemorbothofthemintheactorimmediatelythereafter,orshall
inflictuponthemanyseriousphysicalinjury,shallsufferthepenaltyofdestierro.
Likewise,thearticlealsoappliestoparentswithrespecttotheirdaughtersundereighteenyearsofage,andtheir
seducer,whilethedaughtersarelivingwiththeirparents.
Theexpectedoverwhelmingoutrageandtheneedtovindicateoneshonorwouldformtherationaleofwhykillingis
allowedunderthesecircumstances.Ontheotherhand,destierroormerebanishmentofthekillerwouldbeto
preventthedeceasedsfamilyfromretaliatingagainsthim.