Short answer. Simple seduction is the seduction, by means of deceit, of a single woman or widow of good reputation who is over twelve but under eighteen years of age. Under Article 338 of the Revised Penal Code it is punished by arresto mayor; the deceit — typically a false promise — is what makes it criminal.
What the law says
The seduction of a woman who is single or a widow of good reputation, over twelve but under eighteen years of age, committed by means of deceit, shall be punished by arresto mayor.
Revised Penal Code, Article 338 — Simple Seduction. Read the full provision →
The elements of simple seduction
Article 338 sets out a specific offence against chastity. It punishes The seduction of a woman who is single or a widow of good reputation, over twelve but under eighteen years of age, committed by means of deceit. Several elements must all be present. The offended party is a woman who is single or a widow and of good reputation. Her age must be over twelve but under eighteen. And the sexual intercourse must be obtained by means of deceit. Take away any one — she is of age, or there was no deceit — and the crime of simple seduction does not arise. The provision is aimed at the abuse of a young woman's trust, not at consensual relations between adults.
Deceit is the heart of the crime
What makes ordinary intimacy criminal here is the deceit. Simple seduction is not about force — if force or intimidation were used, the act would be a graver crime altogether. Instead, the man obtains the woman's consent through a trick or false pretence that overcomes her judgment. The classic example is an unfulfilled promise of marriage made to induce her to yield, though other deceptions can qualify. This is what separates simple seduction from qualified seduction, which turns on an offender in a position of trust or authority — such as a person entrusted with the woman's education or custody — rather than on mere deceit. In simple seduction, the deceit is the engine of the offence.
The penalty, and how the case is prosecuted
The penalty is arresto mayor, a short term of imprisonment, marking simple seduction as a less serious felony compared with the graver crimes against chastity. Because the penalty depends on no monetary amount, it is unaffected by the later law that revised peso figures elsewhere in the Code. Traditionally, offences of this kind are treated as private crimes: they generally cannot be prosecuted on the say-so of a stranger but must be initiated by the offended woman, or by her parents or guardians on her behalf. That reflects the personal and reputational nature of the wrong. The rules on who may complain, and on related matters such as pardon, are part of what makes these cases distinct.
How later law changed the picture
This article must be read in light of how the law protecting minors has since developed. The age of sexual consent in the Philippines was raised to sixteen by later legislation — Republic Act No. 11648 (2022) — so sexual conduct with a person below sixteen is now generally treated as rape regardless of deceit or supposed consent, a far graver matter than simple seduction. That reshapes where this article can still operate. Article 338 also does not cover conduct against boys, against women eighteen or older, or cases involving force, each of which is dealt with elsewhere. Because offences touching minors and chastity are sensitive and carry heavy consequences, anyone involved in such a situation should seek counsel promptly.