Act No. 1696

by Philippine Commission

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[No. 1696.]

AN ACT To prohibit the display of flags, banners, emblems, or devices used in the Philippine Islands for the purpose of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States and the display of Katipunan flags, banners, emblems, or devices, and for other purposes.

⁠By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that:

⁠Section 1. Any person who shall expose or cause or permit to be exposed to public view on his own premises, or who shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view either on his own premises or elsewhere, any flag, banner, emblem, or device used during the late insurrection in the Philippine Islands to designate or identify those in armed rebellion against the United States, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device used or adopted at any time by the public enemies of the United States in the Philippine Islands for the purposes of public disorder or of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States in the Philippine Islands, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device of the Katipunan Society or which is commonly known as such, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

⁠Sec. 2. Any person or persons having charge of any banquet, public entertainment, public meeting, or reunion, or any parade, procession, or review, who shall display or cause or permit to be displayed at such banquet, public entertainment, public meeting, or reunion, or in such parade, procession, or review, or who shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any flag, banner, emblem, or device used during the late insurrection m the Philippine Islands to designate or identify those in armed rebellion against the United States, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device used or adopted at any time by the public enemies of the United States in the Philippine Islands for the purposes of public disorder or of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States in the Philippine Islands, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device of the Katipunan Society or which is commonly known as such, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

⁠Sec. 3. It shall be unlawful for any person to expose or cause or permit to be exposed to public view on his own premises, or to expose or cause to be exposed to public view either on his own premises or elsewhere, or to display or cause to be displayed at any banquet, public entertainment, meeting, or reunion, or in any parade, procession, or review, or for any person having charge of such banquet, public entertainment, meeting, or reunion, or of such parade, procession, or review, to permit to be displayed or exposed to public view, any flag, or banner the use or display of which is prohibited by executive order of the Governor-General. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court: Provided, however, that nothing in this section contained shall be construed to authorize the Governor-General to permit the use or display of any flag, banner, emblem, or device whose use, display, or exposition to public view is prohibited by the preceding sections of this Act.

⁠Sec. 4. Any person who shall wear, use, or expose to public view in any parade, procession, or review, any uniform or dress or part thereof, adopted or used during the late insurrection in the Philippine Islands to designate or identify those in armed rebellion against the United States, or any uniform or dress or part thereof adopted or used at any time by the public enemies of the United States in the Philippine Islands for the purposes of public disorder or of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States in the Philippine Islands, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than five thousand pesos, or by imprisonment for not less than three months nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

⁠Sec. 5. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of “An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws,” passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

⁠Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

⁠Enacted, August 23, 1907.