Penalties for Physical Injuries and Assault in the Philippines (All statutory citations are to the Revised Penal Code [RPC] as amended, unless a special law is indicated. Amounts of fines reflect Republic Act 10951 [2017] which updated monetary penalties. This material is for academic reference only and does not constitute legal advice.)
1. Philippine Legal Framework
| Source | Key Provisions on Physical Injuries & Assault |
|---|---|
| Revised Penal Code (Act 3815, 1930) | Arts. 262‑266 (mutilation & physical injuries); Arts. 148‑149 (direct & indirect assault); Arts. 251‑252 (death or injuries in a tumultuous affray); related articles on aggravating circumstances & penalty computation |
| Special Laws | RA 7610 (Child Abuse), RA 9262 (Violence Against Women & Children), RA 9745 (Anti‑Torture), RA 11053 (Anti‑Hazing), RA 8353 & 11648 (rape with injuries), etc. |
| Case law & Rules | Supreme Court decisions interpreting the RPC; Rules on Criminal Procedure (venue, bail, plea‑bargaining); Indeterminate Sentence Law (Act 4103). |
2. Penalty System at a Glance
| Penalty | Duration (inclusive) |
|---|---|
| Arresto menor | 1 day – 30 days |
| Arresto mayor | 1 month & 1 day – 6 months |
| Prisión correccional | 6 months & 1 day – 6 years |
| Prisión mayor | 6 years & 1 day – 12 years |
| Reclusión temporal | 12 years & 1 day – 20 years |
| Reclusión perpetua | 20 years & 1 day – life (indeterminate) |
| Death | Suspended by RA 9346 (2006) |
Fines are in addition to imprisonment where the statute so provides.
3. Physical‑Injury Offences under the RPC
3.1 Mutilation (Art. 262)
- Intentional castration or functional amputation: Reclusión temporal to reclusión perpetua.
- Any other intentional mutilation: Prisión mayor.
3.2 Serious Physical Injuries (Art. 263)
| Circumstance (any of the following) | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Loss of the use of sight, speech, hearing, or an arm/leg/hand/foot; incapacitation or medical attendance > 90 days | Prisión mayor |
| Incapacity or medical attendance > 30 but ≤ 90 days | Prisión correccional (medium – max) |
| Incapacity or medical attendance 11 – 30 days | Arresto mayor (max) – prisión correccional (min) |
| Where the victim is disfigured or loses any other “member” not vital to life | Same as first row (prisión mayor) |
Qualifiers: If serious injuries are inflicted with manifest intent to kill, the felony may be complexed with frustrated homicide (Art. 6 & Art. 48). If committed in a tumultuous affray (Art. 251) special rules apply.
3.3 Administering Injurious Substances (Art. 264)
- If victim suffers serious physical injuries: Prisión mayor.
- If less serious or slight injuries result: penalties drop one or two degrees.
3.4 Less‑Serious Physical Injuries (Art. 265)
| Effect on Victim | Basic Penalty | If done to insult or against persons in authority |
|---|---|---|
| Incapacity/medical attendance 10 – 30 days | Arresto mayor | Arresto mayor (medium – max) |
3.5 Slight Physical Injuries & Maltreatment (Art. 266)
| Effect | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Incapacity/medical attendance ≤ 9 days or none at all | Arresto menor or fine ≤ ₱ 40 000 |
| Maltreatment by public officers or guardians not covered elsewhere | Same, plus temporary special disqualification for officers |
4. Assault Offences
4.1 Direct Assault (Art. 148)
Committed without public uprising by:
- Attacking, employing force, or seriously intimidating a person in authority (e.g., judge, teacher, barangay captain) or agent while in performance of official duties, or
- Resisting with weapons or inflicting serious injuries upon an authority/agent executing the law.
| Mode | Penalty & Fine |
|---|---|
| With weapons / serious injuries | Prisión correccional (medium‑max) + fine ≤ ₱ 100 000 |
| Without weapons / slight injuries | Prisión correccional (min‑med) + fine ≤ ₱ 20 000 |
4.2 Indirect Assault (Art. 149)
Using force or intimidation against persons who come to the aid of an authority/agent.
- Penalty: Prisión correccional (min‑med) + optional fine ≤ ₱ 20 000.
4.3 Other Relevant Assault Scenarios
- Alarm & Scandal (Art. 155) for offensive display of weapons: Arresto menor.
- Qualified Trespass to Dwelling (Art. 280) if assault occurs inside a home.
- Grave Threats/Coercion may accompany assault where intimidation is the main act.
5. Special‑Law Overlays
| Law | Conduct Covered | Penalty Highlights* |
|---|---|---|
| RA 7610 (Child Abuse) | Physical injuries on a minor (< 18 yrs) or child exploited in prostitution | Penalty one degree higher than that for the equivalent RPC offence. |
| RA 9262 (VAWC) | Physical violence against a woman/child in a domestic or dating relationship | Arresto mayor → Prisión mayor depending on gravity; protective orders & mandatory counselling. |
| RA 9745 (Anti‑Torture) | Severe or less severe physical pain inflicted by state agents | Prisión correccional → Reclusión perpetua depending on result and intent. |
| RA 11053 (Anti‑Hazing Act 2018) | Physical injuries or death during hazing/ initiation | Reclusión perpetua if death/rape/suicide; Prisión mayor for serious injuries; Prisión correccional/Arresto mayor for lesser injuries. |
| RA 10951 | Not an offence but updated fines across the RPC (see above). |
*Special laws often carry civil damages, perpetual disqualification, or higher fines in addition to imprisonment.
6. Modifying Circumstances
- Aggravating (Arts. 14‑15) – e.g., treachery, abuse of superior strength, intoxication, crime in dwelling, presence of minors.
- Mitigating (Art. 13) – e.g., voluntary surrender, immediate restitution, minor offenders (below 18 yrs).
- Privileged Mitigation – e.g., incomplete self‑defence (Art. 69) reduces penalty by one or two degrees.
- Habitual Delinquency (Art. 62 §5) – may lead to an additional penalty if the offender has ≥ 3 convictions of specified crimes within 10 years.
7. Civil & Administrative Liability
- Civil indemnity: actual damages (medical expenses, loss of earnings), moral and exemplary damages (Arts. 100‑107, Civil Code Art. 2219).
- Administrative cases: a public officer who commits assault may face dismissal, suspension, or forfeiture of benefits (e.g., under the Civil Service Law).
- Protection Orders & Support: available under RA 9262 and the Rules on Violence Against Women & Children.
8. Prescription of Offences
| Offence punished by… | Prescriptive Period (Art. 90) |
|---|---|
| Arresto menor | 2 months |
| Arresto mayor | 5 years |
| Prisión correccional | 10 years |
| Prisión mayor | 15 years |
| Reclusión temporal | 20 years |
| Reclusión perpetua / Life | Does not prescribe |
Prescription is interrupted by filing the complaint or by the offender’s absence from the Philippines (Art. 91).
9. Procedure & Practice Pointers
- Venue: where the injuries were inflicted or where any essential element occurred (Rule 110).
- Bail: light offences (arresto menor) are bailable as a matter of right; higher penalties require judicial discretion.
- Medical Certificate: indispensable in assessing the gravity; courts look at days of incapacity and medical attendance strictly.
- Plea‑Bargaining: e.g., from serious to less serious physical injuries if prosecution evidence is weak.
- Indeterminate Sentence: trial courts must impose minimum and maximum terms except where prohibited (e.g., reclusión perpetua).
10. Illustrative Jurisprudence
- People v. Echegaray (1997): clarified application of death penalty (now suspended) for heinous crimes but reaffirmed scaling of penalties for injuries.
- People v. Permit (2006): incapacity for labor strictly counted in calendar days, not working days.
- People v. Rolon (2011): disfigurement as “serious” even without prolonged incapacity.
- People v. Abalos (2018): RA 10951 fine schedules applied prospectively to pending cases where judgment not yet final.
11. Practical Checklist for Counsel
- Identify the medical findings (days of incapacity, deformity, loss of senses).
- Match to the correct article (262‑266) or special law.
- Check aggravating/mitigating factors; compute degrees under Arts. 61‑71.
- Consider civil damages—prepare evidence of expenses and pain & suffering.
- Explore plea deals where factual basis supports a lower classification.
- Mind prescription—especially for slight injuries (2‑month limit).
12. Conclusion
The Philippine penal scheme for physical injuries and assault is both graded (slight → serious) and context‑sensitive (relationship to victim, means employed, resulting disability). Since RA 10951 modernized fines and numerous special laws overlay stiffer sanctions—particularly for children, women, and hazing victims—practitioners must carefully map medical evidence and circumstances to the statutory matrix to determine correct penalties, civil liabilities, and procedural strategy.
Disclaimer: This overview condenses statutes and jurisprudence up to July 27 2025. Always verify the latest amendments, administrative issuances, and case law before advising clients or appearing in court.