ANGEL MAE M.

VILLAZORDA
BSCRIM 1C
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM [8:30-10:00AM]
MR.REY NINO B. ABUCAY RCRIM

UNDERSTANDING (Lower Order Thinking Skills)

This is self – assessment: you have to answer the question honestly.

Instructions: Define law in your own words (Minimum of 8 paragraphs). Write your
answer on the space provided.

As a criminology student taking three units of Introduction to Philippine Criminal Justice

System subject. I, Angel Mae M. Villazorda states that understanding the concept of criminal
laws, its sources and characteristics takes precedence. Since law is created and enforced
through social and government institutions to regulate behavior. It is a set of rules, guiding the
people of the community for the safety, peace and order.

Collin English Dictionary defined law as “a system of rules that society or government develops
in order to deal the crime, business agreements and social relationships. And you can also use
the law to refer to the people who work in this system.” This simply means that no one is above
the law. The ignorance of the law excuses no one, even if you are in the highest position of the
republic if the Philippines.

No one is exempted, because this form of rules to which a particular country or community like
here in the Philippines recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may
enforce by the imposition of penalties. It is very important to remember, that laws are made to
protect our general safety, and ensure our rights as citizens against abuses by the other
people, by organizations and by the government itself. We have laws to help provide for our
general safety.

According to the Open University (1999-2020) “Laws play a central role in social, political and
economic life.” This means that it is something that touches our lives on a daily basis. It
governs what we can and cannot do, it is used to settle dispute, to punish and to govern. Law
is used to protect, regulate, uphold rights and challenge authority and it is central to our
society. Having thought about how we have had contact with laws is essential.

As individual, we all have preconception about what the law is and its role and this inevitably
affects our understanding. Our views or my view is essential to understanding how the role of
law with in the society is perceived. Many people think they know what the law is when they
see it and our individual point of view will affect how we define it. And bring us to the definition
of law that is used throughout this course.

And considering the sanctions of laws which are recognized by the state and enforced by the
state- authorized bodies. This highlights some of the important factors in law-making: The
authority of state is needed, only certain institutions can make law, the institutions that make
law have been given the authority to do so, sanctions exist for breaking the law and the
sanctions are imposed by those given state authority to do so.

Sanctions are penalties or other means of enforcements used to provide incentives for
obedience with the law or with rules and regulations. In connection to criminal law,
punishments are the essence of the criminal sanction system. And knowing the general
punishments such as fixed fine, fine, conditional imprisonment, community service, monitoring
sentence and unconditional imprisonment is very important in taking up this course. This is
also tackled in our Correctional Administration subject. For correction is known as the fourth
pillar of the criminal justice system.

As a whole understanding of the given topic, I now can able to distinguish laws and its main
sources. The Constitution, Criminal law, Statutes, Treaties and conventions, Judicial decisions
and others. To elaborate the three branches of the government in which these three operates
under the doctrine or the dogma of separation of powers and a system of checks and
balances: the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branch. And be able to describe the hierarchy
of the Philippine laws organized into orders or rank each subordinate to the ones above it.

In conclusion to this, Laws is the standard set of rules for good behavior which is considered
right and important by the majority of the people for moral and it must be obeyed and followed
by the citizens. Because when talking about law we must always put this into our mind that law
is law there is no option. This is for the general welfare and benefit of all people. And now, I
can say and truly believe that freedom is the state of mind, not a state of being. We are all
slaves to gravity and morality and vicissitudes of nature. Our bodies do not know absolute
freedom but our minds can. I am saying this because we people living this world are grounded
by laws for the common good. And all in all.it is not wisdom but authority that makes a law.
REMEMBERING (Lower order thinking skills)
Multiple choice Questions
Instructions: Read the statement below regarding the historical background of the law.
Just encircle the letter of the best choice. (10 points)

1. In the Philippine Hierarchy of laws, what are enacted by the legislative branch and have
the next- highest precedence?
a. Treatise
b. Philippine Constitution
c. Ordinances
d. Statutes
2. Who has the power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons?
a. President
b. Judiciary branch
c. Executive branch
d. Legislative branch
3. It is considered as the primary source of law in the Philippines.
a. Philippine Constitution
b. Statutes
c. Act No. 3815
d. Treatise
4. The Latin maxim salus pupoli est suprema lex means-
a. No one is above the law
b. Constitutions is the highest law
c. There is no crime, if there is no law
d. The welfare of the people is the supreme law
5. It is legally defined as a rule of conduct, just and made obligatory by legitimate authority
for the general welfare and benefit of all people.
a. Philippine constitution
b. Criminal law
c. Law
 d. Treatise
6. It is considered as the mother of all laws
a. Philippine Constitutions
b. Criminal law
c. Law
d. Treatise
7. Refers to the highest law of the land.
a. Philippine Constitutions
b. Criminal law
c. Law
d. Treatise
8. What branch of the government that has the power to interpret the law when it is
unclear or susceptible to different interpretations?
a. President
b. Judiciary branch
c. Executive branch
d. Legislative branch
9. It is defined as the branch of public law which defines crimes, treats of their nature and
provides for their punishment.
a. Philippine Constitutions
b. Criminal law
c. Law
d. Treatise
10. This includes Act of Congress, municipal charters, municipal legislation, court rules,
administrative rules and orders, legislative rules and presidential issuances.
a. Philippine Constitutions
b. Criminal law
c. Law
d. Statutes
ANGEL MAE M. VILLAZORDA
BSCRIM 1C
INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM [8:30-10:00AM]
MR.REY NINO B. ABUCAY RCRIM

WEEK 2 LESSON 1

Formative test

UNDERSTANDING (Lower order thinking skills)

This is a self-assessment; you have to answer the question honestly.

Activity 1: Explain the importance of law in not more than 5 sentences. Write your answer on
the space provided.

As individual, grounded also in law to obey and to regulate such behaviour and guiding the
people of the community for safety, peace and order. It is very essential to understand the
importance of law in our society and in our country. This is to ensure our rights as people living
in this society, against abuses by other people and by the government itself. We have this law
to help us provide for our safety. The significant role of laws ensures that people living in a
certain community lives for equality and parity.

REMEMBERING (Lower order thinking skills)

Activity 2: Identify and arrange the scrambled words related to our today’s topic. Use the
clues provided to answer this activity.

1. GLEANER- This means that the criminal law is binding on all persons who live or
sojourn in Philippine
territory. Answer: GENERAL

2. RREITORLTAI- The law is binding to all crimes committed within the National Territory
of the Philippines.
Answer: TERRITORIAL
 3. RACINMIL ALW- It refers to the branch or division of law which defines crimes, treats
of their nature, and provides for their punishment.
Answer: CRIMINAL LAW

4. LUVAIFL- Criminal law applies over maritime and interior waters.

Answer: FLUVIAL

5. PPSOREEITCV- As provided in Article 366 of the Revised Penal Code, crimes are
punished under the laws in force at the time of their commission.
Answer: PROSPECTIVE

Activity 3: Identification

Instructions: Read the statements below regarding the concept of crime and justice. Identify
the correct answer and write it on the space provided.

BILL OF ATTAINDER 1. Refers to a legislative act which inflicts punishment without trial. Its
essence is the substitution of a legislative act for a judicial determination of guilt.

EX-POST FACTO LAW 2. It makes criminal an act done before the passage of the law and
which was innocent when done, and punishes such an act.

CRIME 3. An act committed or omitted in violation of a public law forbidding or commanding it.

MALA IN SE 4. Crimes under the Revised Penal Code are Mala In se in nature.

MALA PROHIBITA 5. The act is wrong because it is prohibited by law.

WEEK 2 LESSON 2

Formative test

REMEMBERING (Lower order thinking skills)

Activity 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Instructions: Read the statements below regarding the concept of criminal, victim, and
victimization theories. Just encircle the letter of the best choice. (5 points)

1. Defined as a person who has suffered physical or emotional harm, property damage, or
economic loss as a result of a crime.

a. Victim c. Suspect
b. Criminal d. Respondent
2. What particular victimization theory states that some people may actually initiate the
confrontation that eventually leads to their injury or death?

a. Lifestyle Theory c. Deviant Place Theory

b. Victim Precipitation Theory d. Routine Activity Theory
3. What particular victimization theory states that people may become crime victims because
their lifestyle increases their exposure to criminal offenders?

a. Lifestyle Theory c. Deviant Place Theory

b. Victim Precipitation Theory d. Routine Activity Theory
4. Refers to the scientific study of the psychological effects of crime and the relationship
between victims and offenders.
-

a. Criminal Justice System

b. Criminology
c. Criminalistics
d. Victimology
5. A person who committed a crime and convicted by final judgment.
a. Victim
b. Criminal
c. Suspect
d. Respondent
Activity 2:

Instructions: In this activity, let us focus on the criminal perspective. Let’s do a recap
of the things you read based from our topic by matching the column A to column B. (1
point each)

Column A Column B

C 1. Persons of interest a. Accused

D 2. Suspect b. Criminal

E 3. Prosecution c. when there is one suspected

person left

A 4. Court d. if there are several suspicious

persons

B 5. Corrections e. Respondent
Answer:
Answer:
Inmates in prison admitted to Bureau of
Corrections, is the persons serving the Inmates in jail admitted under the jurisdiction of a
sentence in a prison. These are city or local district, is the persons who is newly
convicted offenders serve longer arrested. These people are being held in jail for
sentences, more than three years and short period of time for awaiting trial and awaiting
given reformation programs. bail hearing.
The Government of the Philippines is governed as a unitary state under presidential
representative and democratic and a constitutional republic. Now the Executive and
legislative is one of the equal branch of the government. The difference between the
two is that, the Executive branch carries out laws. It is composed of the President and
Vice-President who are elected by direct popular vote and serve a term of six years.
The Philippine Constitution grants the President authority to appoint its cabinet. While
the Legislative is authorized to make laws, alter and repeal them through the power
vested in the Philippine Congress. This institution is direct into Senate and the House
of Representatives. In other words, legislative involved to the process of making and
passing laws. And while the executive branch is responsible for the day- to day
management of state. They are supposed to put the laws into action, because it is led
by the head of government.