Introduction

In the Philippine legal system, crimes involving physical injuries are primarily governed by the Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815, as amended), which classifies such offenses based on the severity of the harm inflicted on the victim. These provisions aim to protect bodily integrity and deter acts of violence that cause harm short of death. Physical injuries are distinguished from graver crimes like homicide or murder, where death results, but they can escalate if the injury leads to fatal consequences. The penalties vary according to the degree of injury, the intent of the offender, and any qualifying circumstances.

The Revised Penal Code categorizes physical injuries into serious, less serious, and slight, with additional provisions for mutilation and the administration of injurious substances. These offenses are mala in se, meaning they are inherently wrong, and prosecution requires proof of intent or negligence. Defenses such as self-defense, defense of relatives, or lawful performance of duty may apply under Article 11 of the Code. This article explores the definitions, elements, penalties, and related aspects of these crimes in detail.

Definition and Classification of Physical Injuries

Physical injuries refer to any harm or damage inflicted on the body of another person, excluding death. Under Philippine jurisprudence, injury must be more than trivial and typically involves medical evidence to establish severity. The classification depends on factors such as the duration of incapacity for labor, the need for medical attendance, and permanent effects like deformity or loss of function.

Serious Physical Injuries (Articles 262 and 263): These involve grave harm, such as mutilation, loss of senses or limbs, insanity, impotence, or prolonged illness/incapacity exceeding 30 days.
Administration of Injurious Substances or Beverages (Article 264): A specific form where harm is caused through ingestion or application of harmful substances.
Less Serious Physical Injuries (Article 265): Injuries requiring medical attendance or causing incapacity for labor between 10 and 30 days.
Slight Physical Injuries and Other Maltreatment (Article 266): Minor harms causing incapacity for less than 10 days or mere ill-treatment without physical harm.

If the injury results in death, the offense may be reclassified as homicide (Article 249), murder (Article 248), or parricide (Article 246), depending on the relationship and circumstances. Intent to kill is not presumed in physical injury cases unless evidence shows otherwise.

Serious Physical Injuries

Mutilation (Article 262)

Mutilation is the intentional lopping or clipping off of a part of the body, specifically:

Castration (removal or destruction of reproductive organs).
Mayhem (removal of any other essential organ or part rendering the victim disabled).

Elements:

Intentional act of mutilation.
The mutilation targets reproductive organs (castration) or other parts (mayhem).

Penalty: Reclusion temporal (12 years and 1 day to 20 years) for castration; prision mayor (6 years and 1 day to 12 years) for mayhem.

This offense emphasizes the permanent disfigurement and loss of function, often requiring surgical evidence.

Serious Physical Injuries (Article 263)

This covers non-mutilating serious harms, graded by severity:

Injuries causing insanity, impotency, blindness, or loss of speech, hearing, smell, an eye, hand, foot, arm, or leg, or substantial diminution of these faculties.
Deformity or loss of any other body part, or illness/incapacity for habitual labor exceeding 90 days.
Illness or incapacity for labor between 30 and 90 days.
Illness or incapacity for more than 30 days, if inflicted with intent to injure (rather than mere negligence).

Elements:

Offender inflicts injury.
Injury is serious as defined.
No intent to kill (otherwise, it becomes attempted homicide or murder).

Penalties (scaled by degree):

First degree: Reclusion perpetua (20 years and 1 day to 40 years) to death if with treachery, evident premeditation, etc.; otherwise, reclusion temporal in maximum period.
Second degree: Prision mayor in maximum to reclusion temporal in medium (10 years and 1 day to 17 years and 4 months).
Third degree: Prision mayor (6 years and 1 day to 12 years).
Fourth degree: Arresto mayor in maximum to prision correccional in medium (4 months and 1 day to 4 years and 2 months).

Aggravating factors, such as the victim's age (under 7 or over 70) or relationship to the offender, increase penalties by one degree.

Administration of Injurious Substances or Beverages (Article 264)

This offense involves knowingly administering substances or beverages that cause serious physical injuries as defined in Article 263.

Elements:

Offender administers a substance or beverage.
The substance is injurious or the beverage is adulterated.
Serious injury results.
No intent to kill.

Penalties: Same as those for serious physical injuries under Article 263, based on the resulting harm's severity.

This provision addresses indirect methods of causing harm, such as poisoning, and requires proof of knowledge or intent.

Less Serious Physical Injuries (Article 265)

These are injuries not falling under serious categories but requiring medical attendance or causing incapacity for labor for 10 days or more.

Elements:

Offender inflicts injury.
Injury requires medical attendance or incapacitates the victim for labor for 10-29 days.
No serious injury as per Article 263.

Penalty: Arresto mayor (1 month and 1 day to 6 months). If inflicted with a weapon or under circumstances adding ignominy, the penalty increases to prision correccional in its minimum and medium periods (6 months and 1 day to 4 years and 2 months).

Medical certificates are crucial evidence to prove duration of incapacity.

Slight Physical Injuries and Other Maltreatment (Article 266)

This is the least severe category, subdivided into:

Injuries causing incapacity for labor or requiring medical attendance for 1-9 days.
Injuries not requiring attendance or causing incapacity but still constituting physical harm.
Ill-treatment without causing injury (e.g., slapping without harm).

Elements:

Offender inflicts slight injury or maltreatment.
Harm is minimal.

Penalties:

First case: Arresto menor (1 to 30 days) or fine up to P500.
Second case: Arresto menor or fine up to P500.
Third case: Fine up to P500.

Prosecution for slight physical injuries requires a complaint from the offended party, as it is a private crime, unless committed against a public officer in duty.

Penalties and Modifying Circumstances

Penalties under the Revised Penal Code are subject to the Indeterminate Sentence Law (Act No. 4103, as amended), allowing courts to impose minimum and maximum terms within the prescribed range. Mitigating circumstances (e.g., voluntary surrender, lack of intent to commit so grave a wrong) may lower penalties by one degree, while aggravating ones (e.g., abuse of superior strength, nighttime) increase them.

Subsidiary imprisonment applies for non-payment of fines. Amnesty, pardon, or prescription may extinguish liability: 15 years for reclusion temporal offenses, 10 years for prision mayor, etc.

Civil liabilities accompany criminal penalties, including restitution for medical expenses, moral damages for pain and suffering, and exemplary damages if aggravating circumstances exist.

Related Provisions and Special Laws

Physical injuries may intersect with other crimes:

If death ensues within 30 days without intervening causes, the offense becomes frustrated homicide/murder.
In cases of domestic violence, Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004) imposes higher penalties for physical injuries against spouses, partners, or children, with temporary or permanent protection orders.
Child abuse under Republic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act) treats injuries to minors as qualified, with penalties up to reclusion perpetua.
Injuries to persons with disabilities may invoke Republic Act No. 9442, amending the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.
In labor contexts, injuries due to employer negligence fall under the Labor Code or Employees' Compensation Commission rules.

Jurisprudence emphasizes that the nature of the weapon, number of wounds, and victim's condition determine classification. For instance, Supreme Court decisions like People v. Ural (G.R. No. L-32049) clarify that intent is inferred from acts, not mere words.

Conclusion

The Philippine legal framework on physical injuries balances punishment with rehabilitation, emphasizing proportionality to harm caused. Victims are encouraged to seek immediate medical and legal assistance, while offenders face both criminal sanctions and civil reparations. Amendments to the Revised Penal Code and special laws continue to evolve protections against violence, reflecting societal values of justice and human dignity. For specific cases, consultation with legal professionals is advised to navigate nuances and evidence requirements.