Dear Atty. Chris,

I recently went to a friend's birthday party and had a few shots. Since I was drunk, I didn't risk the danger of drunk driving because I am scared of what would happen. My friend, on the other hand, drove off in spite of having alcohol inside his body. May I ask for what might be the sanctions and consequences of drunk driving? Thank you, Atty.

Jovs

***

Dear Jovs,

Your friend has committed a violation of Republic Act 10586, otherwise known as the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013. The said law, particularly Section 5 thereof provides that driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol is an unlawful act. The said provision is quoted below:

"Section 5. Punishable Act. — It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and/or other similar substances."

Moreover, the possible penalties that may be imposed to a drunk driver can be gleaned from Section 12 of the aforementioned law, to wit:

"Section 12. Penalties. — A driver found to have been driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and/or other similar substances, as provided for under Section 5 of this Act, shall be penalized as follows:"

(a) If the violation of Section 5 did not result in physical injuries or homicide, the penalty of three months imprisonment, and a fine ranging from P20,000 to P80,000 shall be imposed;

(b) If the violation of Section 5 resulted in physical injuries, the penalty provided in Article 263 of the Revised Penal Code or the penalty provided in the next preceding subparagraph, whichever is higher, and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P200,000 shall be imposed;

(c) If the violation of Section 5 resulted in homicide, the penalty provided in Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code and a fine ranging from P300,000 to P500,000 shall be imposed; and