Daily Serving of Legal Matters

On April 26, 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11332 or otherwise known as the "Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Concern Act". Section 3 of this Act gives the definition of a disease which refers to an illness due to a specific toxic substance, occupational exposures or infectious agent, which affects a susceptible individual, either directly or indirectly, as from an infected animal or person, or indirectly through an intermediate host, vector, or the environment. As provided, this Act shall prohibit the following: 1.  Unauthorized disclosure of private and confidential information pertaining to a patient's medical condition or treatment; 2.  Tampering of records or intentionally providing misinformation; 3.  Non-operation of the disease surveillance and response systems; 4.  Non-cooperation of persons and entities that should report and/or respond to notifiable diseas...

On March 24, 2020, the Philippine President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, signed into law Republic Act No. 11469 or otherwise known as "Bayanihan to Heal As One Act".  It is act declaring the existence of a national emergency arising from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and a national policy in connection therewith, and authorizing the President of the Republic of the Philippines for a limited period and subject to restrictions, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out the declared national policy and for other purposes. This law also enumerates criminal acts.  Thus: Sec. 6. Penalties. In addition to acts or omissions already penalized by existing laws, the following offenses shall be penalized by existing laws, the following offenses shall be punishable with imprisonment of two (2) months or a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) but not more One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00), or both, such imprisonment and fine, at the discretion ...