MALACAÑANG 
Manila

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 169

THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN OF ANY HOSPITAL WHO HAS TREATED ANY PERSON OR PERSONS OF SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURIES AS DEFINED IN ARTICLES 262, 263, 264 AND 265 OF THE REVISED PENAL CODE SHALL REPORT SUCH TREATMENT TO THE PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972 and No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973, martial law has been declared throughout the Philippines to, among other goals, restore and maintain peace and order;

WHEREAS, for the attainment of the aforesaid goal, and to enable the law-enforcement agencies to keep track of all violent crimes, conduct timely investigations thereon and effect the immediate arrest of the perpetrators thereof, it is necessary that all persons treating injuries resulting from any form of violence be required to report such fact to said agencies;

WHEREAS, while some of the victims of violent crimes, or those who may have sustained physical injuries in the act of committing or as the result of the commission of a crime submit themselves for medical treatment in hospitals, medical clinics, sanitariums, or other medical establishments, or to medical practitioners, they do not report their injuries to the law-enforcement agencies for one reason or another;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, pursuant to Proclamations No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972 and No. 1104, dated January 17, 1973 and in my capacity as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, do hereby order and decree that:

1. The attending physician of any hospital, medical clinic, sanitarium or other medical establishments, or any medical practitioner, who has treated any person for serious or less serious physical injuries as those injuries are defined in Articles 262, 263, 264 and 265 of the Revised Penal Code shall report the fact of such treatment personally or by fastest means of communication to the nearest Philippine Constabulary unit without delay: Provided, That no fee shall be charged for the transmission of such report through government communication facilities;

2. The report called for in this Decree shall indicate when practicable, the name, age; address and nearest of kin of the patient; the nature and probable cause of the injury; the approximate time and date when, and the place where, the injury was sustained; the time, date, and nature of treatment; and the physical diagnosis and/or disposition of the patient;

I do further order and decree that any violation of this Decree and/or the rules and regulations which shall be promulgated by competent authorities in accordance herewith, with malicious intent or gross negligence, shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than three (3) years and/or a fine of not less than 1,000 nor more than 3,000 pesos, as a military tribunal may direct. In addition, the government license or permit of the attending physician to practice his profession shall be cancelled by the Civil Service Commission after the sentence imposed by the military tribunal has become final and executory.

The Secretary of Health and the Secretary of National Defense shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this Decree.

Done in the City of Manila, this 4th day of April, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RONALDO B. ZAMORA
Assistant Executive Secretary

Source: Malacañang Records Office