Senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD)  will be granted 50 percent discount on passport processing and replacement fees  while persons aged 65 and above  will no longer bother lining up to have their travel document processed under the proposed New Passport Law that the House of Representatives approved on second reading on Wednesday.

House Bill 8513, which seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 8239, otherwise known as the “Philippine Passport Act of 1996” also provides stiffer penalties for offenses relating to the issuance, forgery and improper use of passports and travel documents, including multiple possession of passports. 

Further, the bill declares as illegal the withholding of a passport and forging of visas and entry documents.

HB 8513 is a consolidation of seven separate measures filed, among others, by Deputy Speaker and Cagayan De Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and  Reps. Xavier Jesus Romualdo (PDP-Laban, Camiguin); Ann Hofer (NUP, Zamboanga Sibugay); Sandra Y. Eriguel (PDP-Laban, La Union); and Ed Christopher Go (NPC, Isabela).

Romualdo, who defended and sponsored the bill in the plenary, said the bill proposes to harmonize the provisions of the existing Passport Law with current domestic laws and international agreements affecting the application and issuance of travel documents.

Under the bill, the Department of Foreign Affairs is tasked to issue passports that are tamper proof and processed through the latest data management technology.

HB 8513 also directs the DFA to implement a system that would allow senior citizens to renew their passports without personally appearing in its offices.

Emergency passports may be provided Filipino citizens who have been previously issued regular passports but for certain reasons cannot apply for or be issued regular travel documents.

The DFA will have the option to grant passports for citizens who urgently require travel but have lost a valid ;passport or have expired or expiring ones.

Under the bill senior citizens and PWDs will be entitled to 50 percent discount on the processing, issuance or replacement of passports.

Convention Travel Documents may also be granted for stateless persons, refugees and those seeking political asylum in the Philippines.

“A passport,, being a proclamation of the citizenship of a Filipino, is superior to all other official documents and as such, shall be accorfded the highest respect by its holder,” the bill declares.

Prohibited acts that will make a person liable to penalties of a fine ranging from P15,000 to P60,000 and imprisonment of six to 12 years include the unauthorized acceptance of passport applications or travel documents and sale of lost or stolen passports; involvement in “fixing” activities and unauthorized grant, issuance or verification of any passport or travel document of any person.

Aside from perpetual disqualification from holding public office, same penalties will be imposed for diplomatic or consular official who grants, issues or verifies a passport for non-Filipino citizens.

Offenses relating to forgery and other acts of falsification will be punished with a fine ranging from P75,000 to P150,000 and six to 15 years imprisonment.

Massive forgery involving five or more passports or travel documents will be considered an act of national sabotage and penalized with a fine of P250,00 to P1 million and imprisonment ranging from seven to 17 years.