Duterte OKs law permitting community service as punishment for minor offenses

FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang Park (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Instead of imprisonment, those who committed minor offenses will be penalized with community service as stated in the new law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Aiming to promote restorative justice and to decongest jails, Republic Act (RA) No. 11362 or the Community Service Act allows courts to impose community service as punishment instead of jail time for minor offenses which are punishable by arresto menor or detention from one to 30 days and arresto mayor or detention from one month and one day to six months.

Duterte signed this last August 8 but a copy of it was only released on Tuesday, August 13.

Under RA No. 11362, community service will consist of “any actual physical activity which inculcates civic consciousness, and is intended towards the improvement of a public work or promotion of a public service.” This will be conducted in places where the crimes were committed.

Those convicted of minor offenses, however, can only avail the privilege of rendering community service once. If the offender was found to have violated the terms of the community service, he or she will be re-arrested and serve the full term of the penalty either in jail or at home as provided under the Revised Penal Code. Those who will comply, meanwhile, shall be ordered released unless detained for another offense.

Aside from community service, the offenders will also have to undergo rehabilitative counseling under a social welfare and development officer.

The law, authored and sponsored by Senator Richard Gordon, will be implemented both by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Gordon earlier said that the measure will be a “game changer.”

“Instead of serving time in jail, offenders who committed minor offenses will pay their debt to society by doing community service which will be beneficial to the whole community,” he had said.