Mayroong parusa ang pang-aabuso, pagpapabaya at pagmamaltrato sa mga hayop

Dr. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta / Magtanong Kay Attorney

Dear Chief Acosta,

Mayroong ipinakitang video ang katrabaho ko kung saan ang dalawang pusa na alaga ng taong nasa video ay minamaltrato sa pamamagitan ng hindi pagpapakain ng tama. Pinakita sa nasabing video na sobrang payat na ang mga naturang hayop at asin lamang ang ibinibigay sa kanila. Hindi ko sigurado kung totoo ‘yun, gayon pa man nais kong malaman kung mayroon bang kaparusahan ang ganu’ng pagmamaltrato sa hayop? - Jonas

Dear Jonas,

Ang mga hayop, bilang mayroong buhay ay binibigyan ng karapatan sa ilalim ng ating batas. Sa ilalim ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 8485 na naamyendahan ng R.A. No. 10631 o mas kilala bilang Animal Welfare Act, ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pang-aabuso, pagpapabaya at pagmamaltrato sa mga hayop. Batay sa Section 2 ng R. A. No. 10631:

“Section 2. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8485 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 6. It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance of shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or procure to be tortured or deprived of adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.

x x x”

Para higit na maunawaan, nais naming ibahagi ang nakasaad sa Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations ng naturang batas kung ano ang kahulugan ng pang-aabuso, pagpapabaya at pagmamaltrato sa mga hayop:

“Abuse, cruelty and neglect include every act, omission, or neglect whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering is caused or permitted. This includes physical cruelty by assault, by overwork, by deprivation of adequate food, water, and shelter, and proper care during transport, illness, pregnancy and parturition; and participation in sporting events at a level beyond the animal's capacity to perform.”

Ang sinumang mapatunayan na gumawa ng alinman sa mga nabanggit na pang-aabuso, pagpapabaya at pagmamaltrato ay maaaring patawan ng sumusunod na kaparusahan:

“SEC. 9. Any person who subjects any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect shall, upon conviction by final judgment, be punished by imprisonment and/ or fine, as indicated in the following graduated scale:

"(1) Imprisonment of one (1) year and six (6) months and one (1) day to two (2) years and/or a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand pesos (P100, 000) if the animal subjected to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect dies;

“(2) Imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to one (1) year and six (6) months and/or a fine not exceeding fifty thousand pesos (P50, 000) if the animal subjected to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect survives but is severely injured with loss of its natural faculty to survive on its own and needing human intervention to sustain its life; and

“(3) Imprisonment of six (6) months to one (1) year and/or a fine not exceeding Thirty thousand pesos (P30, 000) for subjecting any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect but without causing its death or incapacitating it to survive on its own.

x x x

“In any of the foregoing situations, the offender shall suffer subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency and the inability to pay the fine."” (Section 4, R. A. No. 10631)

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang inyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na inyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng inyong salaysay.