Senate okays bill decriminalizing vagrancy

MANILA, Philippines -  The Senate has approved on third reading the bills decriminalizing vagrancy, the strengthening of the career executive service and the agreement on technical cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.

Senate Bill 2726 amends Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code to decriminalize vagrancy and prostitution.

Sen. Francis Escudero, one of the authors of the bill, said vagrancy is often motivated by malice but also by some psychological disorders that should be treated.

He said that the law fails to recognize vagrants as victims of poverty.                                                                                      

Escudero argued that by decriminalizing vagrancy, the load of the justice system would be lessened, allowing law enforcement officers to pay more attention to more serious offenses.

“This measure also seeks to give a more humane countenance to our justice system, which prioritizes the rehabilitation of the offender and acknowledges the value of every human life,” he said.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who filed a similar bill, said police have taken liberties in arresting vagrants.

“Moreover, there are numerous reports of arbitrary arrest by the police as a result of the wide discretion afforded to law enforcement by the vagrancy law. Police have rounded up the poor, accusing them of vagrancy, and holding them in prison cells,” he said.

“The law on vagrancy blurs the line between poverty and criminality. As the economic crisis persists, the poor will continue to suffer from oppressive laws such as the law on vagrancy,” he added.

Senate Bill 2671, on the other hand, places the Career Executive Service Board under the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, principal author of the bill, said the measure would help minimize political appointments and ensure that all government officials are eligible under the Civil Service Law.

“Through this measure, the principles of merit and fitness will be the prevailing norm among our civil servants. It will also insulate the Career Executive System and Career Executive Service Board (CESB) from political interference and encourage the professionalization of our government managers and executives,” Trillanes said.

The CESB is a policy-making body responsible for the development, training and administration of civil managers and executives.

Also passed on third reading was the Philippines-Japan Technical Cooperation Agreement, which would replace the redundant process of having to periodically exchange notes verbale for every technical cooperation project between the two countries.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the notes verbale contain the provisions on tax exemptions, immunities, and privileges of Japanese experts dispatched to the Philippines.

“For the Philippines, a country with myriad concerns and endless economic challenges, official development assistance (ODA) supplements our government’s meager resources toward promoting sustainable development,” she said.

Japan is the country’s top source of ODA. In 2009, it provided 36 percent – about $3.46 billion – of the total loan commitments to the Philippines.

One assistance provided by Japan is technical cooperation aimed at supporting development in the Philippines through training programs in Japan. Technical experts are also dispatched to the Philippines to share technical knowledge with government agencies.

“The magnitude and extent of Japan’s technical cooperation projects over the years underscore the importance of the Agreement on Technical Cooperation with Japan. This instrument reduces administrative burdens and helps synergize the technical assistance from Japan,” Legarda said.