Commonwealth Act No. 600

An Act Declaring a State of Emergency and Authorising the President to Promulgate Rules and Regulation to Safeguard the Integrity of the Philippines and to Insure the Tranquillity of its Inhabitants

August 19, 1940

Be it enacted by the National Assembly of the Philippines:

Section 1. The existence of war in many parts of the world has created a national emergency which makes it necessary to invest the President of the Philippines with extraordinary power in order to safeguard the integrity of the Philippines and to insure the tranquillity of its inhabitants, by suppressing espionage, lawlessness, and all subversive to the people adequate shelter and clothing and sufficient food supply, and by providing means for the speedy evacuation of the civilian population the establishment of an air protective service and the organisation of volunteer guard units, and to adopt such other measures as he may deem necessary for the interest of the public. To carry out this policy the President is authorised to promulgate rules and regulations which shall have the force and effect off law until the date of adjournment of the next regular session of the First Congress of the Philippines, unless sooner amended or repealed by the Congress of Philippines. Such rules and regulation may embrace the following objects:

(1) to suppress espionage and other subversive activities;

(2) to require all able-bodied citizens

(a) when not engaged in any lawful occupation, to engage in farming or other productive activities or

(b) to perform such services as may be necessary in the public interest;

(3) to take over farm lands in order to prevent or shortage of crops and hunger and destitution;

(4) to take over industrial establishment in order to insure adequate production, controlling wages and profits therein;

(5) to prohibit lockouts and strikes whenever necessary to prevent the unwarranted suspension of work in productive enterprises or in the interest of national security;

(6) to regulate the normal hours of work for wage-earning and salaried employees in industrial or business undertakings of all kinds;

(7) to insure an even distribution of labour among the productive enterprises;

(8) to commandership and other means of transportation in order to maintain, as much as possible, adequate and continued transportation facilities;

(9) to requisition and take over any public service or enterprise for use or operation by the Government;

(10) to regulate rents and the prices of articles or commodities of prime necessity, both imported and locally produced or manufactured; and

(11) to prevent, locally or generally, scarcity, monopolisation, hoarding injurious speculations, and private control affecting the supply, distribution and movement of foods, clothing, fuel, fertiliser, chemical, building, material, implements, machinery, and equipment required in agriculture and industry, with power to requisition these commodities subject to the payment of just compensation.

As amended by Commonwealth Act No. 620

Section 2. For the purpose of administering this Act and carrying out its objective, the President may designate any officer, without additional compensation, or any department, bureau, office, or instrumentality of the National Government.

Section 3. Any person, firm, or corporation found guilty of the violation of any provision of this Act or of this Act or any of the rules or regulations promulgated by the President under the authority of section one of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than ten years or by a fine of not more than ten thousand pesos, or by both. If such violation is committed by a firm or corporation, the manager, managing director, or person charge with the management of the business of such firm, or corporation shall be criminally responsible therefore.

Section 4. The President shall report to the national Assembly within the first ten days from the date of the opening of its next regular session whatever action has been taken by him under the authority herein granted.

Section 5. To carry out the purpose of this Act, the President is authorised to spend such amounts as may be necessary from the sum appropriated under section five Commonwealth Act Numbered four hundred and ninety-eight.

Section 6. If any provision of this Act shall be declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional and void, such declaration shall not invalidate the remainder of this Act.

Section 7. This Act shall take upon its approval.