An Act Confirming Existing Legislation Prohibiting Slavery, Involuntary Servitude, and Peonage in the Philippine Islands, Subject to Modifications as Provided in Sections Two Hundred and Sixty-Eight, Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine, Two Hundred and Seventy, and Two Hundred and Seventy-One of the Act of the Congress of the United States Approved March Fourth, Nineteen Hundred and Nine, Entitled "An Act to Codify, Revise, and Amend the Penal Laws of the United States," and Adopting Measures for Preventing Violations of Said Laws

November 28, 1913

ACT NO. 2300

AN ACT CONFIRMING EXISTING LEGISLATION PROHIBITING SLAVERY, INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, AND PEONAGE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, SUBJECT TO MODIFICATIONS AS PROVIDED IN SECTIONS TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT, TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE, TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY, AND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE OF THE ACT OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES APPROVED MARCH FOURTH, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINE, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO CODIFY, REVISE, AND AMEND THE PENAL LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES," AND ADOPTING MEASURES FOR PREVENTING VIOLATIONS OF SAID LAWS

SECTION 1. Nothing provided in the existing legislation shall be understood or construed as directly or indirectly permitting slavery, involuntary servitude, and peonage in the Philippine Islands. Subject to the modifications provided in the next following section, the provisions of law prohibiting and punishing slavery, involuntary servitude, and peonage contained in any laws, orders, ordinances, decrees, instructions or regulations promulgated during Spanish Government and applicable to the Philippine Islands, are hereby confirmed and ratified.

SECTION 2. The provisions of sections two hundred and sixty-eight, two hundred and sixty-nine, two hundred and seventy, and two hundred and seventy-one of the Act of the Congress of the United States approved on March fourth, nineteen hundred and nine, entitled "An Act to codify, revise, and amend the penal laws of the United States, are hereby adopted, with the necessary modifications, as if they had been enacted by the Philippine Legislature, to be in force within the territory subject to the jurisdiction of said Legislature, so that said sections, as modified, shall read as follows:

(a) Whoever kidnaps or carries away any other person, with the intent that such other person be sold into involuntary servitude, or held as a slave; or who entices, persuades, or induces any other person to go on board any vessel or to any other place with the intent that he may be made or held as a slave, or sent out of the country to be so made or held; or who in any way knowingly aids in causing any other person to be held, sold, or carried away to be held or sold as a slave, shall be fined not more than ten thousand pesos, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(b) Whoever holds, arrests, returns, or causes to be held, arrested or returned, or in any manner aids in the arrest or return of any person to a condition of peonage, shall be fined not more than ten thousand pesos, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(c) Whoever, obstructs, or attempts to obstruct, or in any way interferes with or prevents the enforcement of the section last proceeding, shall be liable to the penalties therein prescribed.

(d) Whoever shall knowingly and willfully bring into the Philippine Islands or any place subject to the jurisdiction thereof, any person inveigled or forcibly kidnapped in any other country, with intent to hold such person so inveigled or kidnapped in confinement or to any involuntary servitude; or whoever shall knowingly and willfully sell, or cause to be sold, into any condition of involuntary servitude, any other person for any term whatever; or whoever shall knowingly and willfully hold to involuntary servitude any person so brought or sold, shall be fined not more than ten thousand pesos and imprisoned not more than five years.

SECTION 3. It shall be the duty of the provincial governor of every province organized under Act Numbered Eighty-three of the Philippine Commission to obtain information and take all measures that in his judgment may be proper to forestall and thereafter to prevent any violations of this Act, and in case such violations have been committed, to order immediate prosecution. It shall also be the duty of the provincial governor to order, where necessary, the institution of habeas corpus default to the proper court, for the designation of a lawyer to protect the rights of the person or persons for whose benefit the habeas corpus proceedings shall have been brought, and no fees shall be charged for such services and the costs shall in every case be de officio.

SECTION 4. The Courts of First Instance shall have original jurisdiction over all cases for violations of this Act.

ENACTED, November 28, 1913.