CLE Criminal Law: RPC and Special Penal Laws Review (20% Weight)

CLE Criminal Law: RPC and Special Penal Laws Review (20% Weight)

Criminal Law carries 20% of your CLE rating — tied with Criminal Jurisprudence and Criminalistics as the heaviest single subject. The content splits roughly 50/50 between the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and Special Penal Laws (post-RPC criminal statutes).

For BS Criminology graduates, this should be a strong subject — it's covered across multiple semesters. The trap is over-confidence on the RPC and under-preparation on the Special Penal Laws, which add new content every PRC cycle.

This post is the topic-by-topic plan that the CLE 2026 pillar guide hands off to.

What PRC actually asks

Approximate item distribution within Criminal Law:

RPC Book 1 — general principles

The foundation. Drill list:

• Felonies: definition, classification (intentional vs culpable, grave vs less grave vs light)
• Stages of execution: attempted, frustrated, consummated
• Persons criminally liable: principals, accomplices, accessories
• Conspiracy and proposal to commit felony
• Justifying circumstances (Article 11)
• Exempting circumstances (Article 12)
• Mitigating circumstances (Article 13)
• Aggravating circumstances (Article 14)
• Alternative circumstances (Article 15)
• Extenuating circumstances
• Penalties: classification, application, indeterminate sentence law
• Civil liability arising from criminal liability
• Extinction of criminal liability (death, prescription, pardon, amnesty)

Memorise the Article numbers for major provisions. PRC items often reference articles by number.

RPC Book 2 — specific felonies

Drill the felonies in approximate order of testing frequency:

Crimes against persons (most-tested):

• Parricide (Art. 246)
• Murder (Art. 248) — qualifying circumstances
• Homicide (Art. 249)
• Death caused in tumultuous affray (Art. 251)
• Physical injuries: serious, less serious, slight (Arts. 263-266)
• Rape (Arts. 266-A to 266-D, as amended by RA 8353 and RA 11648)

Crimes against property:

• Robbery (Arts. 293-302) — robbery with violence vs robbery in inhabited places
• Theft (Art. 308) — qualified theft
• Estafa / swindling (Art. 315)
• Arson (RA 7659 amendments)

Crimes against chastity (now under RA 11648):

• Acts of lasciviousness
• Qualified seduction, simple seduction
• Forcible abduction

Crimes against honour:

• Libel (Art. 353) — distinguish print vs cyber libel
• Slander (Art. 358)

Crimes against public order:

• Treason (Art. 114)
• Rebellion / insurrection (Art. 134)
• Sedition (Art. 139)
• Direct assault (Art. 148)
• Resistance and disobedience (Art. 151)

Crimes against the fundamental laws of the State:

• Arbitrary detention (Art. 124)
• Delaying release (Art. 125)
• Violation of domicile (Art. 128)

For each major felony: know the elements, the penalty range, and the qualifying or aggravating circumstances.

Special Penal Laws

RA 9165 — Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

Most-tested special law. Drill list:

• Schedules of dangerous drugs
• Section 5: sale, trading, dispensation
• Section 11: possession of dangerous drugs (penalties by quantity)
• Section 15: use of dangerous drugs
• Plea bargaining framework (per People v Estipona ruling and updates)
• Buy-bust operation procedure
• Chain of custody (Section 21) — most common litigation issue
• Mandatory drug testing
• Penalties for involvement of minors

RA 9262 — Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004

• Definitions: physical, sexual, psychological, economic violence
• Acts of violence
• Protection orders: barangay, temporary, permanent
• Battered woman syndrome
• Penalties

RA 10591 — Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act

• Licensed vs unlicensed firearms
• Loose firearm definition
• Penalties for possession of unlicensed firearms
• Gun ban during election period
• Carrying outside residence

RA 10175 — Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012

• Cybercrime offences: illegal access, illegal interception, system interference, misuse of devices
• Cyber libel (vs RPC libel)
• Cybersex
• Penalties

Other special laws (drill at lighter depth):

• RA 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act)
• RA 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act)
• RA 8049 (Anti-Hazing Act, as amended by RA 11053)
• RA 8294 (Illegal Possession of Firearms — pre-RA 10591)
• RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act)
• RA 11648 (Increase in age of sexual consent)
• RA 11313 (Safe Spaces Act)

A 6-week Criminal Law drilling plan

Within the 16-week CLE review, allocate 6 weeks of focused Criminal Law attention.

Realistic Criminal Law scores

For a candidate running the 6-week plan:

Aim for 75%+. At 20% weight, every Criminal Law point translates to 0.2 points of weighted rating.

Where Super Tutor fits

Super Tutor's CLE Criminology track covers RPC and major Special Penal Laws with item drilling. Free tier opens RPC Book 1; the Focused plan (₱49/week, ₱249/month, ₱1,999/year) opens Book 2 + Special Penal Laws + mock cycle.

What to read next

The CLE 2026 pillar guide covers the full review. Other CLE deep dives: Criminalistics, Criminal Jurisprudence, Crime Detection.