Penalties: Main offenses and levels
- Section 1(a)(1) imposes prision correccional in its medium period or a fine ranging from PHP 1,000 to PHP 6,000 upon persons who directly or indirectly take part in illegal or unauthorized gambling as listed in Section 1(a)(1).
- Section 1(a)(1) provides that, in case of recidivism, the penalty becomes prision mayor in its medium period or a fine ranging from PHP 5,000 to PHP 10,000.
- Section 1(a)(2) imposes prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine of PHP 6,000 on a person who knowingly permits prohibited gambling to be carried on in covered places or facilities when the covered facts apply (including a gambling-place reputation, frequent activity, or location in a public/government building or barangay hall).
- Section 1(b) imposes prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine of PHP 6,000 on the maintainer or conductor.
- Section 1(c) imposes prision mayor in its medium period with temporary absolute disqualification or a fine of PHP 6,000 when the maintainer, conductor, or banker is a government official, or when that government official is a player, promoter, referee, umpire, judge or coach in game fixing or point shaving machinations.
- Section 1(d) imposes prision correccional in its medium period (as stated) or a fine ranging from PHP 400 to PHP 2,000 on any person who, knowingly and without lawful purpose, possesses any lottery list, paper, or other matter containing letters, figures, signs, or symbols pertaining to, or used in, jueteng, jai-alai or horse racing bookies and similar lotteries and numbers, whether the gambling has taken place or is about to take place.
- Section 1(e) imposes temporary absolute disqualification on any barangay official who, with knowledge, fails to abate a gambling house or place or take action in connection therewith.
- Section 1(f) imposes prision correccional in its maximum period or a fine ranging from PHP 500 to PHP 2,000 on any security officer, security guard, watchman, private or house detective of hotels, villages, buildings, enclosures and the like that have the reputation of a gambling place or where gambling activities are held.
Facility-permit liability and heightened situations
- Section 1(a)(2) penalizes knowing permission of gambling in places or conveyances that the accused owns or controls, whether the place is inhabited or uninhabited.
- Section 1(a)(2) requires heightened punishment where the place has a reputation for gambling or prohibited gambling is frequently carried on there.
- Section 1(a)(2) requires heightened punishment where the gambling occurs in a public or government building or a barangay hall.
- Section 1(b) treats the maintainer or conductor of these schemes as separately punishable.
Informant reward for arrests and convictions
- Section 2 provides a reward for any person who discloses information that leads to the arrest and final conviction of the malefactor.
- Section 2 sets the reward at 20% of the cash money or articles of value confiscated or forfeited in favor of the government.
Repeal of inconsistent gambling laws
- Section 3 repeals provisions of Articles 195-199 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and Republic Act No. 3063, and Presidential Decrees numbered 483, 449, 510 and 1306, including letters of instructions, laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, and city and municipal ordinances that are inconsistent with this Decree.
Effectivity upon publication
- Section 4 makes the Decree take effect immediately upon publication at least once in a newspaper of general circulation.
Issuance and date
- Presidential Decree No. 1602 is dated June 11, 1978.
- Presidential Decree No. 1602 was issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
- The Decree was done in the City of Manila and signed on June 11, 1978.