Bill to criminalize selling, buying school papers

MANILA, Philippines - A legislator has filed a measure seeking to criminalize the practice of  buying or selling dissertations, thesis, term papers and other reports to acquire academic credentials.

AGRI partylist Rep. Delphine Gan Lee filed House Bill 3793 or to be known as "Academic Honesty Act of 2013."

"The nation's human development program, especially our educational system, should, among other important foundations, be based and developed on the principle of honesty and hard work," the lawmaker said.

She noted that academic credentials are a necessity in obtaining employment, a promotion or higher compensation in employment, or admission to a prestigious institution.

Lee said that it is imperative that such academic achievement be obtained only through the efforts of the person claiming it as  person's own, and not the work of people he or she just paid to write said materials.

"This bill seeks to make it unlawful for any person to sell, offer to sell, purchase or offer to purchase any material either written or provided through electronic media which will be submitted by a student as his or her own work to any university, college, academy, school or other educational institution, or to a course, seminar or degree program held by such institution," Lee added.

Section 5 of HB 3793 provides that any person found guilty of violating the proposed law shall be meted a penalty of imprisonment of arresto menor (one day to 30 days), or a fine of not more than P10,000, or both, at the discretion of the court, taking into consideration all attending circumstances.