Short answer. A person who violates RA 9048 faces imprisonment of six to twelve years, or a fine of ten thousand to one hundred thousand pesos, or both, at the court's discretion. If the offender is a government official or employee, he also suffers the penalties under civil service laws — administrative sanctions on top of the criminal ones.
What the law says
penalized by imprisonment of not less than six (6) years but not more than twelve (12) years, or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court
RA 9048, Section 9 — Imprisonment Fine Or Both. Read the full provision →
What the law says
if the offender is a government official or employee he shall suffer the penalties provided under civil service laws, rules and regulations.
RA 9048, Section 9 — Imprisonment Fine Or Both. Read the full provision →
The criminal penalty applies to everyone
Section 9 of Republic Act No. 9048 is the Act's penalty clause, and its first sentence reaches A person who violates any of the provisions of this Act — official or private citizen alike. On conviction, the penalty is imprisonment of not less than six (6) years but not more than twelve (12) years, or a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. This is a serious range: it is a criminal liability decided by a court after a criminal case, not a mere fee or a slap on the wrist. Anyone who abuses the correction process can face it.
The extra layer for a public servant
The second sentence singles out public servants. It provides that if the offender is a government official or employee he shall suffer the penalties provided under civil service laws, rules and regulations. This matters most for the very people who run the correction system — a civil registrar or an office staff member who, say, approves a correction they know is unfounded, alters an entry outside what the law allows, or takes part in falsifying a record. For them, the consequences do not stop at the criminal penalty. They also face the administrative penalties the civil service imposes on erring officials, which can run up to suspension or dismissal from the service and its accessory disqualifications.
Two separate tracks that can run together
The phrase In addition in the law is deliberate: the criminal penalty and the civil service penalty are two distinct tracks, and a government employee can face both for the same act. A criminal case is prosecuted in court and can end in imprisonment or a fine; an administrative case is handled within the government's own disciplinary machinery and goes to the person's standing as a public servant. One does not cancel out the other, and an acquittal or dismissal on one track does not automatically decide the other, because they answer different questions and use different standards of proof. A public official who breaks this law is therefore exposed on two fronts at once.
What counts, and what this clause does not settle
A violation means breaching the Act's provisions — for instance, correcting entries without authority, ignoring its documentary and publication safeguards, or processing a petition through fraud. Honest mistakes and good-faith judgment calls are a different matter from the deliberate wrongdoing the penalty clause targets, and whether particular conduct crosses the line is for the proper forum to decide. This clause fixes the penalty; it does not by itself lay out how a complaint is filed, which office hears the administrative side, or how the two proceedings are timed. If you believe a registrar or employee mishandled or abused your correction, it is worth taking the facts and your documents to counsel before deciding how to proceed.