THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to impose the penalty of community service, in lieu of imprisonment, for violations punishable with arresto menor on lesser crimes, such as alarm and scandal, slight physical injuries, and theft, among others.
House Bill 335 was earlier approved and endorsed for plenary approval by the committee on revision of laws chaired by Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, also author of the measure.
The House unanimously approved the measure before Congress adjourned.
Under the law, the duration of penalty for arresto menor is one day minimum and 30 days maximum imprisonment.
Once enacted, HB 335 seeks to amend Article 88, Chapter 5, Title 3 Book I of Act 3815, or the Revised Penal Code, as amended.
This particular section imposes arresto menor on lesser crimes such as alarm and scandal, slight physical injuries, theft of things less than P500 pesos, deceit, malicious mischief where value is less than P200, and imprudence and negligence constituting light felon.
Agabas, one of the authors, said such offenses might still be corrected through restorative justice, a system of criminal justice where offenders are encouraged to undergo cooperative processes that may aid in their transformation and reformation, and eventually bring them back to the fold of the law and the community.
Agabas said through her proposal, jails and penitentiaries would be greatly decongested, and money would be saved for other, more practical purposes.
The bill seeks to require offenders to render community service wherever the alleged crime was committed, under terms determined by the court and the supervision of either the respective community’s barangay captain or a probation officer.
The offenders will also be required to undergo rehabilitative counseling.
The actual community service would be any physical activity which would inculcate civic consciousness, and intended towards the improvement of a public works or promotion of a public service.
The offender can avail himself of this only once, and when found in violation of the terms established for the community service, the court may order his arrest and the penalty will be served in jail.
A similar bill was filed and approved on third and final reading by the House during the 16th Congress.