"Article 320. Destructive Arson. — The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period to death shall be imposed upon any person who shall burn:  . chanrobles virtual law library

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1. One (1) or more buildings or edifices, consequent to one single act of burning, or as result of simultaneous burnings, or committed on several or different occasions.

2. Any building of public or private ownership, devoted to the use of the public in general, or where people usually gather or congregated for a definite purpose such as but not limited to official governmental function or business, private transaction, commerce, trade, worship, meetings and conferences, or merely incidental to a definite purpose such as but not limited to hotels, motels, transient dwellings, public conveyance or stops or terminals, regardless of whether the offender had knowledge that there are persons in said building or edifice at the time it is set on fire, and regardless also of whether the building is actually inhabited or not.

3. Any train or locomotive, ship or vessel, airship or airplane, devoted to transportation or convenience, or public use, entertainment or leisure.

4. Any building, factory, warehouse installation and any appurtenances thereto, which are devoted to the service of public utilities.

5. Any building, the burning of which is for the purpose of concealing or destroying evidence of another violation of law, or for the purpose of concealing bankruptcy or defrauding creditors or to collect from insurance. . chanrobles virtual law library

Irrespective of the application of the above enumerated qualifying circumstances, the penalty of death shall likewise be imposed when the arson is perpetrated or committed by two (2) or more persons or by a group of persons, regardless of whether their purpose is merely to burn or destroy the building or the edifice, or the burning merely constitutes an overt act in the commission or another violation of law.

The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period to death shall also be imposed upon any person who shall burn:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary

1. Any arsenal, shipyard, storehouse or military powder or fireworks factory, ordinance storehouse, archives or general museum of the government. . chanrobles virtual law library

2. In an inhabited place, any storehouse or factory of inflammable or explosive materials. . chanrobles virtual law library

If as a consequence of the commission of any of the acts penalized under this Article, death or injury results, or any valuable documents, equipment, machineries, apparatus, or other valuable properties were burned or destroyed, the mandatory penalty of death shall be imposed." . chanrobles virtual law library