AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR AND NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-EIGHT-A OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.

SECTION 1. Section nineteen hundred and fifty-four of the Revised Administrative Code is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

“SEC. 1954. Absolutely nonmailable matter.—No matter belonging to any of the following classes, whether sealed as first-class matter or not, shall be imported into the Philippines, through the mails, or be deposited in or carried by the mails of the Philippines, or be delivered to its addressee by any officer or employee of the Bureau of Posts:

“(a) Written or printed matter in any form adver­tising, describing, or in any manner pertaining to, or conveying or purporting to convey any information con­cerning any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme depending in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or any scheme, device, or enterprise for obtaining any money or property of any kind by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises.

“(b) Written or printed matter in any matter advocating treason or any other offense against the security of the Philippines or forcible resistance to any law of the Republic of the Philippines, or which is of libelous character and relates to identifiable person.

“(c) Articles, instruments, drugs, and substances de­signed, intended, or adapted for preventing conception or producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use, or which are advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply them for pre­venting conception or producing abortion, or for any in­decent or immoral purpose.

“(d) Written or printed matter and photographs, en­gravings, lithographs, and other representations of an obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent character, including all such matter which advertises or describe or gives, directly or indirectly, information where, how, from whom, or by what means any article, instrument, drug, or substance enumerated in the preceding subsection hereof may be obtained or made, or where or by whom any act or operation of any kind for the procuring or producing of abortion will be done or performed, or how or by what means conception may be prevented or abortion produced: Provided, however, That the prohibitions con­tained in this and the next preceding subparagraph shall not apply to scientific literature or information concerning articles, instruments, drugs and substances designed, in­tended, or adapted for preventing conception.

“(e) Explosives, inflammable materials, infernal ma­chines, mechanical, chemical, or other devices and com­positions which may ignite or explode, and all other natural or artificial articles, compositions, and materials which may hurt, harm, or injure another, or damage, deface, or otherwise injure the mails or other property.

“(f) Spirituous, vinous, malted, fermented, or other in­toxicating liquors of any kind.

“(g) Living mammals, birds, reptiles, or fishes.

“(h) Any other matter which by law or treaty stipula­tion is absolutely debarred from transmission in the mails.

“When a matter of doubtful mailability under this section belongs to the second-class mail, the acceptance or rejection thereof shall be decided within two days from the time it is offered for mailing: Provided, That in cases where the second-class mail is offered for mailing to a postmaster who, being in doubt, refers the question of its mailability to the central office, such question shall be decided within two days from the time of its submis­sion : Provided, further, That if no decision is reached or is made within the two days herein provided, the mail shall be given due course.”

SEC. 2. Section nineteen hundred and seventy-eight-A of the Revised Administrative Code is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

“SEC 1978-A. Messages which shall not be trans­mitted.—No message belonging to any of the following classes shall be transmitted by telegraph, cable or wireless telegraphy, or delivered to its addressee by any officer or employee of the Bureau of Posts:

“(a) Written or printed message or communication de­scribing or pertaining to, or conveying or purporting to convey, any information concerning any lottery or gift enterprise.

“(b) Written or printed message or communication advocating treason or any other offense against the security of the Philippines or forcible resistance to any law of the Republic of the Philippines, or which is of libelous character and relates to identifiable persons.

“(c) Written or printed message or communication containing obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent words or language.

“(d) Written or printed message or communication ad­vertising or describing or giving, directly or indirectly, information where, how, from whom, or by what means any articles, instrument, drug, or substance designed, intended, or adapted for preventing conception, or pro­ducing abortion may be obtained or made, or where or by whom any act or Operation of any kind for the pro­curing or producing of abortion, will be done or per­formed, or who or by what means conception may be prevented or abortion produced: Provided, however, That this prohibition shall not apply to scientific informa­tions concerning articles, instruments, drugs and sub­stances designed, intended, or adapted for preventing con­ception.”

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 19, 1965.