Quasi-offenses Amendments Act of 2025

* N Sentale Bffice of the Senterp TWENTIETH CONGRESS } REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session } 25 OCT -7 A10:45 SENATE RECEIVED BY: SENATE BILL NO. _ 1444 INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III AN ACT AMENDING TITLE XIV OF ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. EXPLANATORY NOTE Time and again, we see accidents happen. We see it in the news or even real time in our daily lives. These accidents happen almost every day that the public has become desensitized to it. However, the conversation should be different when these incidents results in loss of one's life. Under the current law, the highest penalty that can be imposed when reckless imprudence resulting in the death of a person is six (6) years of imprisonment. In fact, because of this very penalty, the offender, when found guilty, may avail himself of probation and not spend time in jail. The prevalence of reckless imprudence and negligence, especially in driving, calls for a change in the way our justice system treats and punishes the offenders. The increase in the penalty will serve as a deterrent to everyone and will emphasize that reckless imprudence and negligence has damaging consequences. Further, this will also give justice to the families of those whose lives were lost due to other people's recklessness. Through this measure, the State reaffirms its commitment to maintain peace and order and protect life through a more stringent penalty when loss of life results from recklessness imprudence and negligence. VICENTE C. SOTTO III

Senate TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE Oftice of the Suneta: REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES } First Regular Session } OCT -7 A10:45 SENATE S.B. No. 1444 RECEIVED BY: INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III AN ACT AMENDING TITLE XIV OF ACT NO. 3815, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED PENAL CODE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Quasi-Offenses

2 Amendment Act of 2025." 3 Section 2. Homicide as the Resulting Crime. There shall be incorporated into Title Fourteen (Title XIV) of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known 5 as the Revised Penal Code, a new article to read as follows: "Article 365 - A. Imprudence and Negligence Resulting in Loss of Life. When the person, who by reckless or simple imprudence as defined in the preceding paragraph, committed an act which resulted in the loss of life of an individual, shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its medium to reclusion temporal."

Section 3. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared

unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 4. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations,

or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Section 5. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,