Text of the provision
Art. 239. Usurpation of legislative powers. - The penalties of prisión correccional in its minimum period, temporary special disqualification and a fine not exceeding Two hundred thousand pesos (₱200,000), shall be imposed upon any public officer who shall encroach upon the powers of the legislative branch of the Government, either by making general rules or regulations beyond the scope of his authority, or by attempting to repeal a law or suspending the execution thereof.
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 encroaches on the powers of the legislature — by making general rules beyond his authority, or by attempting to repeal a law or suspend its execution — suffers prisión correccional in its minimum period, temporary special disqualification and a fine not exceeding Two hundred thousand pesos (₱200,000).
Related provisions
- Article 237 — Prolonging Performance Of Duties.
- Article 242 — Ignoring Order To Desist.
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.