Text of the provision
On the text as published. Both source texts print “Less grave felonies” here. That is a scanning artefact rather than anything the legislature enacted — a dropped r; the article's own heading and Article 25 both read 'less grave' — so this page prints the corrected reading. The original is recorded so you can tell what any other source will show you.
Art. 9. Grave felonies, less grave felonies and light felonies. - Grave felonies are those to which the law attaches the capital punishment or penalties which in any of their periods are afflictive, in accordance with Article 25 of this Code. Less grave felonies are those which the law punishes with penalties which in their maximum period are correctional in accordance with abovementioned article. Light felonies are those infractions of law or the commission of which the penalty of arresto menor or a fine not exceeding Forty thousand pesos (₱40,000) or both is provided.
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
Crimes are sorted into three classes by how heavily they are punished. Grave felonies carry capital punishment or penalties that are afflictive in any of their periods; less grave felonies carry penalties that are correctional in their maximum period; light felonies are those punished by arresto menor or a fine not exceeding Forty thousand pesos (₱40,000), or both.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 8 — Conspiracy And Proposal.
- Article 16 — Who Are Criminally Liable.
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.