Republic Act No. 9346, An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty in the Philippines

Republic of the Philippines Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Thirteenth Congress Second Regular Session Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-fifth day of July, two thousand and five. Republic Act No. 9346 June 24, 2006 AN ACT PROHIBITING THE IMPOSITION OF DEATH PENALTY IN THE PHILIPPINES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION 1. The imposition of the penalty of death is hereby prohibited. Accordingly, Republic Act No. Eight Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Seven (R.A. No. 8177), otherwise known as the Act Designating Death by Lethal Injection is hereby repealed. Republic Act No. Seven Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Nine (R.A. No. 7659), otherwise known as the Death Penalty Law, and all other laws, executive orders and decrees, insofar as they impose the death penalty are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. SEC. 2. In lieu of the death penalty, the following shall be imposed. (a) the penalty of reclusion perpetua, when the law violated makes use of the nomenclature of the penalties of the Revised Penal Code; or (b) the penalty of life imprisonment, when the law violated does not make use of the nomenclature of the penalties of the Revised Penal Code. SEC. 3. Person convicted of offenses punished with reclusion perpetua, or whose sentences will be reduced to reclusion perpetua, by reason of this Act, shall not be eligible for parole under Act No. 4180, otherwise known as the Indeterminate Sentence Law, as amended. SEC. 4. The Board of Pardons and Parole shall cause the publication at least one a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation of the names of persons convicted of offenses punished with reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment by reason of this Act who are being considered or recommend for commutation or pardon; Provided, however, That nothing herein shall limit the power of the President to grant executive clemency under Section 19, Article VII of the Constitutions. SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect immediately after its publication in two national newspapers of general circulation. Approved, FRANKLIN  DRILON President of the Senate JOSE DE VENECIA JR. Speaker of the House of Representatives This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2254 and House Bill No. 4826 was finally passed but the Senate and the House of Representative on July 7, 2006.   OSCAR G.YABES Secretary of Senate ROBERTO P. NAZARENO Secretary General House of Represenatives Approved: June 24, 2006 GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President of the Philippines Source: The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation ­­­