Aquino signs law punishing illegal use of Red Cross emblems

President Benigno S. Aquino III. EDWIN BACASMAS/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) lauded on Thursday, the passage of a law that prohibits the illegal use of the group’s emblems, especially during armed conflicts.

The group lauded President Aquino for signing Republic Act No. 10530, or “An Act Defining the Use and Protection of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal Emblems, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof and for Other Purposes.”

“This will not be possible without the efforts of Philippine Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Office which strongly advocates for the proper use of the Red Cross emblems,” PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said.

Illegal use of the emblems constitutes the use or imitation of the emblems that causes confusion or deceives the general public, “irrespective of the purpose of such use;” display of the emblems or words on “signs, posters, announcements, leaflets or commercial documents,” or its inclusion in goods or packaging to be sold, or offered for sale or placed in circulation goods.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said that based on the new law, illegal use of these emblems carries a fine of P50,000 and/or imprisonment of one month to six months.

The new law also states that the use of the emblems during times of armed conflict by “any person who wilfully commits or gives the order to commit acts resulting in the death of, the wounding, or the capture of an adversary by making perfidious use of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or Red Crystal emblem or a distinctive signal shall be deemed to have committed a war crime.”

When the crime results in the death or serious physical injury of an adversary, and considering the individual circumstances of the offender, the penalty of reclusion perpetua and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1 million shall be imposed.

The new law also states that any person who, in time of armed conflict and without entitlement, wilfully uses the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or the Red Crystal emblem, or a distinctive signal or any other sign or signal, which constitutes an imitation thereof or which might lead to confusion, shall be punished by prision correccional in its medium period” and a fine of not less than P40,000 but not more than P80,000.