HIGHER PENALTIES FOR PERJURY TO DETER FALSE INCRIMINATION, IMPUTATION - GORDON

Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, expressed confidence that the proposed higher penalties for the crime of perjury will deter persons from imputing or incriminating other individuals.

During the amendment period for Senate Bill No. 1354 which seeks to give more teeth to the Revised Penal Code provisions for perjury and false testimonies and end the culture of lying under oath, Gordon said the penalties will be increased by two degrees higher to deter individuals from falsely imputing or incriminating other people.

"Increasing the penalties two degrees higher will deter anybody who can impute or incriminate easily," he said.

Gordon also earlier said witnesses or resource persons who lie during Senate inquiries or hearings will have to answer to the proposed amendments to the perjury law.

In his recent investigations, Gordon, who also chairs the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, has cited in contempt several personalities for lying under oath before the Senate proceedings. These includes slain Bureau of Corrections legal chief Frederic Anthony Santos, BuCor records division head Ramoncito Roque, Dr. Ursicio Cenas, medical officer at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) hospital, Ma. Benilda "Mabel" Bansil (Corrections Senior Inspector); Veronica "Boday" Buno (Corrections Officer), and Major Rodney Raymundo Baloyo IV, one of the 13 former Pampanga police officers allegedly involved in drug recycling.

Currently under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, perjury is punished with arresto mayor in its maximum period to the prision correccional in its minimum period, or for four months and one day to two years and four months.

Under the proposed measure, perjury will now be punishable with prision mayor in its minimum period to its medium period. The duration of the penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period to its medium period shall be from six years and one day to ten years.