Short answer. Yes. Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code states it plainly: every person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable. Criminal conviction does not only bring punishment — it also carries an obligation to compensate the victim for the harm caused.
What the law says
Every person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable.
Revised Penal Code, Article 100 — Criminal Liability Means Civil Liability. Read the full provision →
Criminal liability carries civil liability with it
Article 100 creates an automatic link between criminal and civil liability. Once a person is found guilty of a felony, civil liability follows as a legal consequence — no separate civil action is required to establish it. The conviction itself is the finding that grounds the civil obligation. The person harmed by the crime has a right to compensation, and that right arises directly from the criminal act and the conviction for it.
What civil liability in a criminal case covers
Civil liability arising from a felony typically includes several components, depending on the nature of the crime and the harm it caused. These may include: restitution — returning or replacing what was taken; reparation of damages — compensating for property damage or financial loss; and indemnification — covering consequential damages such as loss of income, medical expenses, and in appropriate cases, moral damages for the suffering caused. The specific amounts are determined by the court in the criminal proceedings or in a separate civil action.
Acquittal does not necessarily extinguish civil liability
The connection between criminal and civil liability runs in one direction — conviction establishes civil liability — but acquittal does not automatically extinguish it. If a person is acquitted on the ground that the crime was not proven beyond reasonable doubt, a civil claim based on the same acts may still be possible under a lower standard of proof. If the acquittal is based on the finding that no crime was committed at all — meaning the act itself was lawful — then civil liability from the criminal charge also falls. The basis for the acquittal matters.
If you are the victim or the convicted person
If you are the victim of a felony, you can assert your civil claim within the criminal proceedings rather than filing a separate civil action. The prosecutor's office handling the case will typically include the civil aspect in the information filed, but you should consult a lawyer to ensure your claim for damages is properly presented and documented. If you are the person convicted, understanding the civil liability component — including the obligation to make restitution or pay damages — is an important part of understanding the full consequences of the conviction.