Covered Offenses
- The law prohibits unauthorized persons from the following acts involving prohibited drugs:
- Selling
- Administering
- Delivering
- Giving away
- Distributing
- Dispatching in transit
- Transporting
- Acting as a broker in any such transactions
- The scope encompasses all phases of drug distribution and transportation without proper legal authorization.
Penalties Imposed
- The penalty for committing these prohibited acts is severe, including:
- Life imprisonment up to death sentence
- A mandatory fine ranging from PHP 20,000 to PHP 30,000
- The imposition of penalties is mandatory except when otherwise authorized by law.
Enhanced Penalties for Specific Circumstances
- If the victim of the drug-related offense is a minor, the maximum penalty, including death, shall be imposed.
- If the prohibited drug is the proximate cause of the death of any victim involved in the offense, the same maximum penalty applies.
- These provisions underscore the government's heightened protection of vulnerable populations and the severity of drug-related fatalities.
Effectivity
- The amendment took effect immediately upon issuance on February 17, 1980.
Legal Authority and Enactment
- The decree was issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos under the constitutional powers vested in the Presidency.
- It reflects the administration’s urgent policy response to the drug problem and the intent to curb criminality and lawlessness linked to dangerous drugs.