Risa bill urges stiffer penalties vs. officials who force witnesses to lie

Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros has filed a bill seeking to impose stiffer penalties against government workers who will be found guilty of coercing witnesses to lie.

The lawmaker introduced Senate Bill 2512 to define the crime of subornation of perjury by amending the Revised Penal Code by

“Subornation of perjury, particularly when committed by public officers and those in power, strikes at the core of justice by undermining the truth-seeking function of the legal system,” Hontiveros said in filing the bill.

“This bill seeks to preserve the integrity of court proceedings and maintain public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the legal process by sending a strong message that dishonesty and corruption within the legal system will not be tolerated,” she added.

For Hontiveros, increasing penalties against government workers involved in subornation of perjury will reflect “a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of honesty and accountability in the public service.”

Under the bill, subornation of perjury is committed if a person procures, coerces, or otherwise induces another to commit any perjury.

The individual shall be punished as guilty of false testimony or as if they themselves had given the false testimony. 

Public officers or employees committing this crime would face up to six years jail time, P1 million fine and perpetual absolute disqualification from holding any appointive or elective position in the government.

Apart from prosecution or conviction individuals who committed subornation of perjury, the proposed law also allows separate action for damages. —NB, GMA Integrated News