Sen. Leila M. de Lima wants to make more tough the penalties for government officials who commit perjury and who force any individual to lie under oath or retract a testimony under duress.
Claiming to be a victim of lies and malicious testimonies, the senator says she has filed Senate Bill 1359 that seeks to impose fiercer penalty for perjury and subornation of perjury, amending Articles 180, 183, and 184 of the Revised Penal Code.
In a statement, she said that she filed the bill to strengthen the country's criminal justice system.
“In light of recent instances when those entrusted with the duty to see justice are the ones coercing and using government resources to manufacture lies, it is high time that we increase the penalty for perjury and subornation of perjury,” she said.
Under the Revised Penal Code, perjury is punishable by arresto mayor in its maximum period, that is, four months and one day to two years and four months.
Subornation of perjury, meanwhile, is not expressly penalized, but the direct induction of a person by another to commit perjury is punishable under Article 183 in relation to Article 17.
Subornation of perjury is committed by a person who knowingly and willfully procures another to swear falsely and the witnesses suborned does testify under circumstances rendering him guilty of perjury.
De Lima is in detention, facing what she claim as "trumped-up drug trafficking charges based on obviously manufactured evidence and on perjured testimonies of convicted drug lords."
"Recently, false testimonies of convicted felons were used to support malicious complaints. This condemnable act could be employed not only to harass and unjustly punish innocent persons, but also to silence dissent,” she said.
Under her proposed measure, the penalty for perjury should be increased by two degrees, that is, to prision mayor in its minimum to medium periods, or a jail term of from six years and one day to 10 years.
Persons who have been forced to commit perjury is given the chance to be exempted from criminal liability by proving that they were pressured and other circumstances forced them to lie under oath or retract a previous testimony.
Moreover, government officials or employees found to have committed perjury and subornation of perjury shall be perpetually disqualified from holding a public office or employment.
Source : GMA
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