House panel OKs bill extending prescriptive period for graft raps

MANILA, Philippines – A House panel approved a bill that would extend the prescriptive period for filing of graft cases from 15 years to 30 years.

House Bill 4146 hurdled the committee on revision of laws, and would be endorsed to the plenary when the chamber resumes in May, committee chair Pangasinan Representative Marlyn Primicias-Agabas said in a statement on Thursday.

The proposed measure substituted the original HB 3425 by Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao and Laguna Rep. Joaquin Chipeco, Jr.

The bill would revise section 11 of Republic Act 3019 of the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” which sets the prescriptive period to 15 years only.

The bill wants the prescriptive period up to 30 years.

Extending the period when legal actions against cases may be initiated upon knowledge of the violation would prevent the accused from escaping liability due to mere technicality, the authors said.

The bill also complies with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, of which the Philippines is a signatory, the lawmakers added.

In their explanatory note, the authors said graft and corruption is a “worldwide malaise that affects the developments of countries.”

“Violations of anti-graft and corruption laws are considered to be one of the most difficult crimes to investigate and prosecute. It thrives in secrecy and the uncovering of new information to build up the cause relatively takes considerable amount of time,” the authors said.

The bill will be forwarded to the Committee on Rules, where Agabas and Aggabao would defend the measure during floor deliberations, the statement said.

RELATED STORY

House passes bill declaring anti-corruption month