Bill aiming to strengthen animal cruelty penalties filed in House
Harsher penalties could be in store for people who abuse and neglect animals as lawmakers push for stronger protections against animal cruelty.
In a Facebook post, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña announced that the Akbayan Reform Bloc has filed House Bill 11495, or the "Animal Life Advocacy and Guardianship Act (ALAGA)."
The proposed measure aims to "strengthen accountability for animal cruelty and neglect, improve the handling of animal welfare cases, and promote more humane treatment of animals nationwide."
According to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, which backed the measure, ALAGA imposes stricter penalties by imposing both a fine and imprisonment as minimum penalties for offenders whose cruelty, maltreatment, or neglect of animals have led to their deaths.
Specifically, they will be punished with imprisonment of one year, six months, and one day to three years, and a fine of P100,000 to P500,000.
Grave injuries to animals are punished with imprisonment ranging from one year and one day to one year and six months, along with a fine amounting to P50,000 to P80,000. Lighter injuries, meanwhile, carry the penalty of six months to one year imprisonment and a fine not exceeding P30,000.
The law applies only to companion animals, not those raised for agricultural consumption.
Apart from this, the bill also seeks to create a "National Commission for Animal Welfare,: which is an "independent and autonomous quasi-judicial agency with full fiscal autonomy, rule-making authority, licensing and enforcement powers."
The commission will facilitate all efforts in prosecuting animal cruelty cases.
At present, animal cruelty cases in the Philippines are primarily covered by the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, as amended by Republic Act No. 10631.
Under the existing law, if the animal dies as a result of the cruelty, the offender may be sentenced to one year, six months, and one day to two years in prison and/or fined up to P100,000.
If the animal survives but suffers severe injuries that leave it unable to survive without human intervention, the penalty is one year and one day to one year and six months in prison and/or a fine of up to P50,000.