[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8188, June 11, 1996 ]

AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTY AND IMPOSING DOUBLE INDEMNITY FOR VIOLATION OF THE PRESCRIBED INCREASES OR ADJUSTMENTS IN THE WAGE RATES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION TWELVE OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIXTY-SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE WAGE RATIONALIZATION ACT



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 12 of Republic Act Numbered Sixty-seven hundred twenty-seven is hereby amended to read to as follows:

"SEC. 12. Any person, corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association or entity which refuses or fails to pay any of the prescribed increases or adjustments in the wage rates made in accordance with this Act shall be punished by a fine not less than Twenty-five thousand pesos (P25,000) nor more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) or imprisonment of not less than two (2) years nor more than four (4) years, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court: Provided, That any person convicted under this Act shall not be entitled to the benefits provided for under the Probation Law.

“The employer concerned shall be ordered to pay an amount equivalent to double the unpaid benefits owing to the employees: Provided, That payment of indemnity shall not absolve the employer from the criminal liability imposable under this Act.

"If the violation is committed by a corporation, trust or firm, partnership, association or any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed upon the entity's responsible officers, including, but not limited to, the president, vice-president, chief executive officer, general manager, managing director or partner."

SEC. 2. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved, June 11, 1996