APRIL 10, 2012 DATE

NR # 2705
REF. NO.

House passes amendment to the Philippine Passport Act of 1996

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill simplifying the passport documentation requirements and processes of the Office Consular Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). House Bill 5854, to be known as Revised Philippine Passport Act of 2012, which seeks to amend Republic Act 8239, was defended during the plenary debate by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairperson, Rep. Al Francis Bichara (2nd District, Albay). The measure provides an option for applicants to acquire a Philippine passport with five or ten year validity. Bichara said the measure aims to protect the constitutional right of people to travel and resolve the continuing cases of offenses relating to the issuance, possession, use, suspension and revocation of passports. Bichara said the government has the duty to issue passports using tamper proof and latest data management technology as much as practicable or any travel document to any citizen of the Philippines or individual who complies with the requirement of the proposed act. Under the bill, former Senate Presidents, former Speakers of the House of Representatives, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, the Secretary of the Senate and the Secretary General of the House of Representatives are added to the short list of those entitled to diplomatic passports. Diplomatic passports are issued to persons with diplomatic status or who are on diplomatic mission, such as the Philippines President and former Presidents, the Vice President and former Vice-Presidents, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, among others. Official delegates to international, regional conferences or on official mission abroad may be issued diplomatic passports with full powers by the President of the Philippines or the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Official Passports are issued to all government officials and employees on official trip abroad but who are not on diplomatic mission or have not been accorded diplomatic status. A Passport, being a proclamation of the citizenship of a Filipino, should be accorded the highest respect by its holders and as such, any act prejudicial to its integrity is a grave crime against the security of the state and should be penalized accordingly, Bichara said. The bill will create a Special Board of Inquiry that will handle and adjudicate complaints for cancellation of passports and imposes stiffer penalties against perpetrators of fraudulent and fake passports.

APRIL 10, 2012 DATE

NR # 2705
REF. NO.

Offenses relating to issuances of passport or to false statements in any application shall be punished by a fine of not more than P60,000 and imprisonment of not more than 12 years and perpetual disqualification from holding public office to offending government officials. The bill imposes punishment on offenses relating to forgery, mutilation or altering any passport or travel document or department stamps shall be punished by a fine of not less than P75,000 but not more than P150,000 and imprisonment of not more than 15 years. Forgeries of five or more passports or travel documents in the travel and recruitment industry shall be considered as massive forgery tantamount to national sabotage and punished by a fine of not more than One Million Pesos (P1,000,000) and imprisonment of not less than seven years but not more than seventeen years, Bichara said. The bill also seeks to amend the provisions relating to the requirements of issuances of passports and provides additional grounds for its amendment, suspension and revocation, Bichara said. The measure detailed the requirements needed for submission of specific documents for minors, adopted persons, widowed, annulled or divorced women, applicants to be adopted, naturalized citizens and persons who have reacquired Philippine citizenship. Muslim Filipinos, traveling for the purpose of Hajj, need not comply with the requirements for the issuance of a regular passport. A Hajj passport is non-renewable and may not be used as a basis for the issuance of a regular passport. They may be issued a passport valid for three months and for one trip only, upon submission of an endorsement from the Office of Muslim Affairs, a certificate of tribal affiliation and a signed personal guarantee form and joint affidavit of two disinterested persons who are familiar with the birth details of the applicant. The authors of the bill are Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara (Lone District, Aurora), Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Party List, Bagong Henerasyon), Eduardo Gullas (1st District, Cebu) and Marcelino Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City); House Bill 2124 of Reps. Pedro Romualdo (Lone District, Camiguin), Mel Senen Sarmiento (1st District, Western Samar), and Nelson Dayanghirang (1st District, Davao Oriental), House Bill 3435 of Rep. Al Francis Bichara (2nd District, Albay), and House Bill 3965 of Rep. Erico Aumentado (2nd District, Bohol), George Arnaiz (2nd District, Negros Oriental), Rodel Batocabe (Party List, Ako Bicol), Walden Bello (Party List, Akbayan), Julieta Cortuna (Party List, A Teacher), Vincent Crisologo (1st District, Quezon City), Francisco Victor Ortega (1st District, La Union), Carlos Padilla (Lone District, Nueva Vizcaya), Arthur Yap (3rd District, Bohol) and Jose Zubiri III (3rd District, Bukidnon). (30) jsc