6/12/2017 15WeirdLawsFilipinosStillHaveToLiveWith

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.
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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.
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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.