Short answer. Yes. A first-time minor offender who was placed under a suspended sentence and complies with the required conditions can have the case dismissed and the records cleared. On a favorable recommendation from the Dangerous Drugs Board, the court discharges the accused and orders all official records expunged, restoring the person's prior status.
What the law says
the court shall enter an order to expunge all official records, other than the confidential record to be retained by the DOJ relating to the case.
RA 9165, Section 67 — Discharge Of First-Time Minor Offender. Read the full provision →
The record clearing is earned, not automatic
This benefit sits at the end of a road, not the start. It applies to a first-time minor offender who was placed under a suspended sentence and who then complies with the applicable rules of the Dangerous Drugs Board, including confinement in a center. Only after that compliance, and on a favorable recommendation from the Board for final discharge, does the court discharge the accused and dismiss all the proceedings. So the clean record is the reward for completing the program, and it depends on the young offender actually meeting the conditions attached to the suspended sentence.
What "expunge" actually does
On dismissal, the law directs that "the court shall enter an order to expunge all official records, other than the confidential record to be retained by the DOJ relating to the case." Two details matter. First, the erasure of the official records is broad — it is not merely a note that the case ended. Second, one record survives: a confidential file kept by the Department of Justice. The expungement order itself is also kept confidential. So the public trail is cleared, while a single sealed record remains in government hands.
Restored to the status before the case
The order does more than close the file; it restores the accused to the status they held before the case. The law then protects the young person going forward: they may not later be held guilty of perjury, concealment, or misrepresentation for failing to acknowledge the case or recite facts about it in response to an inquiry made for any purpose. In practical terms, a person who has been through this and earned the discharge can answer that they have no such record, without that answer being treated as a lie.
The limits worth understanding
This route is specific. It is for a first-time minor offender who went through the suspended-sentence process and complied — it is not a general amnesty available to any drug offender who asks. The relief hinges on the Board's favorable recommendation and on genuine compliance, so a person who dropped out of the program cannot expect it. And the retained confidential Department of Justice record means the case is not erased for every conceivable government purpose. This is general information about the mechanism, not advice on whether a particular case qualifies.