The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines (Act No. 3815, as amended) classifies both robbery and theft as crimes against property under Title Ten. These offenses are punished with principal penalties of imprisonment graduated according to the circumstances of commission, the value of the property taken (in the case of theft), and the presence of qualifying factors such as violence, intimidation, force upon things, or special aggravating circumstances. Penalties are applied in accordance with the rules on stages of execution (consummated, frustrated, attempted), the presence of mitigating or aggravating circumstances (Articles 13, 14, and 64), the Indeterminate Sentence Law (Act No. 4103, as amended), and the abolition of the death penalty (Republic Act No. 9346). In addition to imprisonment, the offender incurs civil liability for restitution of the property or indemnity for its value, plus damages.

Theft

Article 308 defines theft as the taking of personal movable property belonging to another, without the latter’s consent, with intent to gain, and without violence against or intimidation of persons or force upon things. The crime is consummated upon the taking and asportation of the property.

Article 309 prescribes the penalties for simple theft graduated strictly by the value of the thing stolen (as originally provided in the Code; monetary thresholds have been adjusted upward by Republic Act No. 10951 to reflect economic conditions, but the structure and degree progression remain the same):

Prisión mayor in its minimum and medium periods, if the value exceeds twelve thousand pesos but does not exceed twenty-two thousand pesos.
Prisión correccional in its maximum period to prisión mayor in its minimum period, if the value exceeds six thousand pesos but does not exceed twelve thousand pesos.
Prisión correccional in its medium and maximum periods, if the value exceeds two hundred pesos but does not exceed six thousand pesos.
Prisión correccional in its minimum and medium periods, if the value exceeds fifty pesos but does not exceed two hundred pesos.
Arresto mayor in its maximum period to prisión correccional in its minimum period, if the value exceeds five pesos but does not exceed fifty pesos.
Arresto mayor in its medium period, if the value does not exceed five pesos.

When the value of the thing stolen cannot be determined (for example, personal documents, papers, or articles without fixed commercial value), the penalty is prisión correccional in its minimum and medium periods if the offender is a recidivist, or arresto mayor in its maximum period otherwise. If the offender has been previously punished for any theft, the penalty is imposed in its maximum period.

Article 310 (qualified theft) imposes a penalty one degree higher than that prescribed in Article 309 for the corresponding value. Qualifying circumstances include: (a) commission by a domestic servant or with grave abuse of confidence; (b) taking on the occasion of a fire, earthquake, typhoon, volcanic eruption, or any other calamity; (c) taking of mail matter or articles in the custody of the Philippine postal service; (d) taking of large cattle; (e) taking of fish from a fishpond or fishery; (f) taking of coconuts from a plantation; or (g) taking from a motor vehicle. Qualified theft is consummated in the same manner as simple theft but carries the escalated penalty.

Theft may also be attempted or frustrated, in which case the penalty is two degrees lower (attempted) or one degree lower (frustrated) than the penalty for consummated theft.

Robbery

Article 293 defines robbery as the taking of personal property belonging to another, with intent to gain, by means of violence against or intimidation of any person, or by using force upon things. Robbery is consummated upon asportation; the use of violence or intimidation elevates the offense even if the taking is only attempted or frustrated when accompanied by homicide or other qualifying results.

Robbery with Violence against or Intimidation of Persons (Articles 294–298)

Article 294 enumerates the penalties according to the result produced:

Reclusion perpetua to death, if the robbery is accompanied by homicide.
Reclusion perpetua to death, if the robbery is accompanied by rape, intentional mutilation, or arson.
Reclusion temporal in its medium and maximum periods, if by reason or on the occasion of the robbery any of the serious physical injuries defined in Article 263 is inflicted.
Prisión mayor in its maximum period to reclusion temporal in its minimum period, if the violence or intimidation employed causes any of the less serious physical injuries defined in Article 265.
Prisión mayor in its medium and maximum periods, if the robbery is committed with violence against or intimidation of persons but without inflicting any of the physical injuries mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.

Since the abolition of the death penalty, the supreme penalty in paragraphs 1 and 2 is reclusion perpetua (without eligibility for parole under Republic Act No. 9346 for heinous crimes).

Article 295 imposes the penalty provided in Article 294 in its maximum period when any of the following circumstances is present: (a) the robbery is committed in an inhabited house, public building, or edifice devoted to religious worship; (b) the robbery is committed on a street, road, alley, or public highway; (c) the robbery is committed by a band (more than three armed malefactors, Article 296); or (d) the offender uses a deadly weapon or firearm.

Article 296 further provides that when robbery is committed by a band, all members are principals and the leader is subject to the same rules. For attempted or frustrated robbery accompanied by homicide (or by rape, mutilation, or arson), Article 297 prescribes reclusion temporal in its medium and maximum periods.

Article 298 punishes the execution of a deed (such as a contract or conveyance) by means of violence or intimidation with the penalty of prisión mayor in its medium and maximum periods plus a fine not exceeding twelve thousand pesos (as adjusted).

Robbery with Force upon Things (Articles 299–302)

When no violence or intimidation against persons is used but force is employed upon things, the penalties are:

Article 299 (robbery in an inhabited house, public building, or edifice devoted to worship):

Prisión mayor, if entrance is effected by breaking doors, walls, floors, ceilings, or by scaling, and the value taken exceeds fifty pesos, or if any of the articles taken is a house furnishing regardless of value.
Prisión correccional in its maximum period to prisión mayor in its minimum period, if entrance is by false key, picklock, or similar device and value exceeds fifty pesos.
Prisión correccional in its medium and maximum periods, if entrance is without the above methods but value exceeds fifty pesos.
Prisión correccional in its minimum and medium periods, if value does not exceed fifty pesos.

Article 300 applies the same penalties to public buildings or places of worship.

Article 301 (robbery in an uninhabited place or by force upon things in other locations) carries one degree lower penalties than those in Article 299.

Article 302 (robbery in other places) imposes prisión correccional in its minimum and medium periods if value exceeds fifty pesos, or arresto mayor in its maximum period to prisión correccional in its minimum period if value does not exceed fifty pesos.

Article 303 provides that robbery of cereals, fruits, or firewood in an uninhabited place or private building is punished one degree lower than the corresponding penalty under Articles 299–302.

General Rules on Application and Related Matters

All penalties are subject to the rules on indeterminate sentencing: the court fixes a minimum term within the range of the penalty next lower in degree and a maximum term within the prescribed penalty, unless the penalty is indivisible (such as reclusion perpetua). Mitigating circumstances lower the penalty by one or two degrees; aggravating circumstances raise it within the period. Recidivism, habituality, and quasi-recidivism (Article 62) increase the penalty to its maximum period.

Special complex crimes arise when robbery is combined with homicide, rape, or serious physical injuries; these are punished under the specific provisions of Articles 294 and 297 without applying the rules on complex crimes under Article 48.

Prescription periods are twenty years for robbery or theft punishable by afflictive penalties (reclusion or prisión mayor) and ten years for correctional penalties (Article 90).

The foregoing provisions constitute the complete framework under the Revised Penal Code for determining criminal liability and the corresponding penalties for robbery and theft. Civil liability attaches independently and survives even if criminal liability is extinguished.