Article 39 of the Revised Penal Code: Subsidiary imprisonment
Status: Amended
Amended
This provision has been amended. The text below is the current version.
- Amended by: Republic Act No. 5465 (Wording as amended by this law.)
- Amended by: Republic Act No. 10159 (Wording as amended by this law.)
What does Article 39 say?
If the convict has no property with which to meet the fine mentioned in paragraph 3 of the next preceding article, he shall be subject to a subsidiary personal liability at the rate of one day for each amount equivalent to the highest minimum wage rate prevailing in the Philippines at the time of the rendition of judgment of conviction by the trial court, subject to the following rules:
1. If the principal penalty imposed be prision correccional or arresto and fine, he shall remain under confinement until his fine referred in the preceding paragraph is satisfied, but his subsidiary imprisonment shall not exceed one-third of the term of the sentence, and in no case shall it continue for more than one year, and no fraction or part of a day shall be counted against the prisoner.
2. When the principal penalty imposed be only a fine, the subsidiary imprisonment shall not exceed six months, if the culprit shall have been prosecuted for a grave or less grave felony, and shall not exceed fifteen days, if for a fight felony.
3. When the principal penalty imposed is higher than prision correccional, no subsidiary imprisonment shall be imposed upon the culprit.
4. If the principal penalty imposed is not to be executed by confinement in a penal institution, but such penalty is of fixed duration, the convict, during the period of time established in the preceding rules, shall continue to suffer the same deprivations as those of which the principal penalty consists.
5. The subsidiary personal liability which the convict may have suffered by reason of his insolvency shall not relieve him from the fine in case his financial circumstances should improve.
What does it mean in plain language?
Article 39 says that a convict who has no property to pay a fine serves jail time instead. This is subsidiary imprisonment. It runs at one day for each amount equal to the highest minimum wage rate in the Philippines when the trial court convicted him. It has limits: never more than one year, and none at all when the main penalty is heavier than prision correccional.
The opening paragraph, as amended by Republic Act No. 10159 (2012):
If the convict has no property with which to meet the fine mentioned in paragraph 3 of the next preceding article, he shall be subject to a subsidiary personal liability at the rate of one day for each amount equivalent to the highest minimum wage rate prevailing in the Philippines at the time of the rendition of judgment of conviction by the trial court, subject to the following rules:
"Paragraph 3 of the next preceding article" refers to Article 38, which lists the order in which a convict's money liabilities are paid: first the reparation of the damage, then consequential damages, then the fine, then the costs.
How does it work in real life?
Joy: only a fine, light felony
Joy is convicted of a light felony and sentenced only to a fine. She has no property to pay it. Her subsidiary imprisonment cannot go beyond fifteen days.
Mario: jail term plus fine
Mario is sentenced to arresto mayor and a fine, and cannot pay the fine. His subsidiary imprisonment cannot be more than one-third of his jail sentence, and in no case more than one year.
Vic: a heavy penalty
Vic is sentenced to prision mayor and a fine. Since the principal penalty is higher than prision correccional, rule 3 says no subsidiary imprisonment is imposed. The fine itself remains part of the judgment.
What does this mean in practice?
- Only for those with no property. Subsidiary imprisonment applies when the convict "has no property with which to meet the fine".
- The court sets it. The judgment of conviction is the basis for computing the days.
- The fine survives. If the convict's finances improve, the fine can still be collected (rule 5).
- Related pages: probation, arresto menor, arresto mayor, prision correccional and the table of the duration of penalties.
How long can subsidiary imprisonment last?
| Principal penalty imposed | Limit on subsidiary imprisonment |
|---|---|
| Prision correccional or arresto, plus a fine | Not more than one-third of the sentence, and never more than one year |
| Only a fine, for a grave or less grave felony | Not more than six months |
| Only a fine, for a light felony | Not more than fifteen days |
| Higher than prision correccional | No subsidiary imprisonment |
| A penalty of fixed duration not served by confinement in a penal institution | During the periods set in the rules above, the convict continues to suffer the same deprivations as those of the principal penalty |
Under rule 1, "no fraction or part of a day shall be counted against the prisoner". A light felony is one punished by arresto menor or a fine not exceeding ₱40,000, or both (Article 9 as amended by Republic Act No. 10951).
Rule 3 is short:
- When the principal penalty imposed is higher than prision correccional, no subsidiary imprisonment shall be imposed upon the culprit.
Does the fine disappear after serving the time?
No. Rule 5 keeps the fine alive:
- The subsidiary personal liability which the convict may have suffered by reason of his insolvency shall not relieve him from the fine in case his financial circumstances should improve.
What did Republic Act No. 10159 change?
Republic Act No. 10159 (2012) changed the rate of subsidiary imprisonment. Under the current text, one day of subsidiary imprisonment matches an amount equal to the highest minimum wage rate prevailing in the Philippines when the trial court rendered the judgment. The article does not print a peso figure, and minimum wage rates change, so the number of days for a given fine depends on the rate at the time of the judgment.
Frequently asked questions
What is subsidiary imprisonment?
It is jail time served instead of a fine that the convict cannot pay because he has no property. Article 39 calls it a subsidiary personal liability.
How many days of jail for an unpaid fine?
Article 39 sets the rate at one day for each amount equal to the highest minimum wage rate prevailing in the Philippines at the time the trial court rendered the judgment of conviction. The article does not state a peso figure; it depends on the wage rate at that time.
What is the longest subsidiary imprisonment?
If the penalty is prision correccional or arresto plus a fine, it cannot exceed one-third of the sentence and never more than one year. If the penalty is only a fine, it cannot exceed six months for a grave or less grave felony, or fifteen days for a light felony.
Is there subsidiary imprisonment if the penalty is higher than prision correccional?
No. Article 39, rule 3, says that when the principal penalty is higher than prision correccional, no subsidiary imprisonment shall be imposed.
Does serving subsidiary imprisonment cancel the fine?
No. Rule 5 says the subsidiary liability does not relieve the convict from the fine if his financial circumstances improve.
General information, not legal advice. For your case, ask a lawyer, the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) or the agency.
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