The Senate yesterday approved the bill decriminalizing vagrancy, a press release from the office of Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Justice Committee, said.

Senate Bill No. 1965, submitted jointly by the committees on Justice and Human Rights and Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws, was approved for transmittal to the Lower House for consideration.

In decriminalizing vagrancy, the bill no longer defines vagrants as circumscribed by the existing anti-vagrancy law or Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code. While totally removing vagrants from the provision, prostitution, however shall continue to be punishable, the press release said.

Escudero, who authored the bill with Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Richard Gordon and Loren Legarda, said the existing law on vagrancy fails to see that vagrants are victims of poverty and the lack of opportunities for employment and access to decent standards of living and quality of life.

He added that the bill provides equal protection to women, children and men as authorities cannot anymore recklessly and conveniently use vagrancy in arbitrary arrests, the press release said.

By decriminalizing vagrancy, Escudero added that law enforcement officers can already pay more attention to graver offenses and improve the administration of justice in the country, the press release also said.*

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