REPUBLIC ACT NO. 330, July 15, 1948

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 330, July 15, 1948 ]

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF IMPORT CONTROL BY REGULATING IMPORTS OF NON-ESSENTIAL AND LUXURY ARTICLES, CREATING AN IMPORT CONTROL BOARD, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF RULES AND REGULATIONS TO CARRY INTO EFFECT SUCH CONTROL AND PENALIZING VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. There is hereby created an Import Control Board to be composed of the Secretary of Commerce and Industry, as chairman, the Undersecretary of Finance and the General Manager of the PRATRA, as members.

SEC. 2. The President, upon recommendation of the Import Control Board, shall fix and allocate quotas of the quantity which may be imported within a certain period of time of each kind or class of non-essential and luxury articles.

SEC. 3. The President, upon recommendation of the Import Control Board, shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the proper enforcement and/or implementation of this Act.

SEC. 4. It shall be unlawful for any person, association, or corporation to import non-essential and luxury articles intended for resale into the Philippines without a permit from the President of the Philippines.

SEC. 5. The violation of the provisions of this Act shall be punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand pesos nor more than ten thousand pesos or by imprisonment of not less than two years nor more than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court: Provided , That, if the violation is committed by the manager, representative, director, agent, or employee of any natural or juridical person in the interest of the latter, the same shall render said natural or juridical person amenable to the penalties corresponding to the offense, without prejudice to the imposition of the proper penalty, either personal or pecuniary, or both, upon the manager, representative, director, agent, or employee: Provided, further , That the principals or employees who are juridical persons shall be amenable only to the pecuniary penalty corresponding to the particular offense: Provided, still further, That in case of any violation committed in the interest of a foreign juridical person legally doing business in the Philippines by its manager, representative, director or agent, such violation shall serve as a ground for the immediate revocation of its license to do business: And provided, finally , That products imported in violation of the rules and regulations issued by virtue of this Act shall be subject to forfeiture in accordance with the procedure established under Chapter 29 of the Revised Administrative Code.

SEC. 6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to violate any of the provisions of the Executive Agreement of the Republic of the Philippines with the United States of America dated July fourth, nineteen hundred and forty-six.

SEC. 7. The authority herein granted to the President to regulate the volume of imports by quota or license or permit shall terminate on December thirty-one, nineteen hundred and forty-nine.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon the issuance of an executive order by the President of the Philippines.

Approved, July 15, 1948.