Text of the provision
Art. 233. Refusal of assistance. - The penalties of arresto mayor in tits medium period to prisión correccional in its minimum period, perpetual special disqualification and a fine not exceeding Two hundred thousand pesos (₱200,000), shall be imposed upon a public officer who, upon demand from competent authority, shall fail to lend his cooperation towards the administration of justice or other public service, if such failure shall result in serious damage to the public interest, or to a third party; otherwise, arresto mayor in its medium and maximum periods and a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand pesos (₱100,000) shall be imposed.
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, Act No. 3815, as amended. Reproduced in full from the official enactment and verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings.
What this article means
A public officer who, on demand of competent authority, refuses to cooperate in the administration of justice or other public service suffers arresto mayor in its medium period to prisión correccional in its minimum period, perpetual special disqualification and a fine not exceeding Two hundred thousand pesos (₱200,000) if the refusal causes serious damage to the public interest or a third party. Otherwise the penalty is arresto mayor in its medium and maximum periods and a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand pesos (₱100,000).
Related provisions
- Article 231 — Open Disobedience By An Officer.
- Article 234 — Refusing To Serve Office.
Penalty amounts. The text above is the article as amended by Republic Act No. 10951 (2017), which revised the property values and fines throughout this Code. Older reproductions of the Revised Penal Code still print the 1930 amounts — for theft and estafa they show 12,000 and 22,000 pesos where the current figures run to millions. Check which version any source you rely on is giving you.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.