President Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law the republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 last tuesday. RA 9745 penalizes physical acts by persons in authority or their agents that cause severe pain, exhaustion, disability or dysfunction on detainees as well as mental or psychological acts calculated to affect or confuse the mind or undermine a person’s dignity and morale.

The jail terms for violators are upto 30 years of prison depending the gravity of the offence.