AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-NINE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 122

Designation of Peace Officers within National Parks
- Officers and employees of the Bureau of Forestry designated by the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce can act as peace officers within national parks. (Section 7-A)
- As peace officers, they can maintain peace and order, exercise police supervision, and arrest suspicious persons who may have committed or are about to commit an offense against this Act or any other law or regulation. (Section 7-A)

Penalties for Violations within National Parks
- Any person, association, or corporation who violates provisions of this Act or regulations, or occupies any portion of national parks without permit, or destroys or damages timber, forest products, or objects of natural beauty, shall be liable to:
    - A fine of four times the regular government charges on the unlawfully destroyed timber or forest products. (Section 8)
    - Imprisonment for not less than four months nor more than six months. (Section 8)
- If the area is reforested or under reforestation, the government may recover double the actual damages sustained, in addition to the penalties. (Section 8)
- Hunting, capturing, killing, disturbing, or driving away any birds, fish, or animals within national parks without license or permit is subject to penalties under Act No. 2590 ("An Act for the protection of game and fish"). (Section 8)
- For companies or corporations, the president or manager is directly responsible for acts of employees or laborers if proven to have acted with their knowledge; otherwise, liability extends only to the fine. (Section 8)
- Upon conviction, the court shall order the eviction of the offender from the land, and all timber, forest products, constructions, or improvements made by the offender shall be forfeited to the government. (Section 8)