Is Codeine legal in Philippines?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled dangerous drug under RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002). The death penalty was abolished for all crimes by RA 9346 (2006), so codeine is not death-eligible; the statutory maximum is life imprisonment / reclusion perpetua.
- Consequences if caught
- RA 9165 imposes graduated imprisonment by quantity up to life; codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Licit supply is essentially nil: the Philippines’ 2026 INCB estimated requirement for codeine is a token 2 g (morphine, by contrast, 110,000 g). Do not expect to fill a codeine prescription locally. Carrying your own is governed by Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, s. 2014, §35; above 30 days’ supply you need PDEA authorisation requested 30 working days before arrival.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines.
- officialgazette.gov.ph
- officialgazette.gov.ph
- INCB Narcotic Drugs — Estimated World Requirements for 2026 (April update): https://www.incb.org/incb/uploads/documents/Narcotic-Drugs/Status-of-Estimates/2026/EstApr26.pdf
- INCB Country Regulations for Travellers: https://www.incb.org/incb/en/travellers/country-regulations.html
- incb.org
Court records
The Supreme Court E-Library publishes decisions back to 1901, but its robots policy does not permit automated access, so we have not verified a court record for this jurisdiction.
Source checked Supreme Court E-Library · 2026-08-27
Codeine in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Philippines
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Philippines’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
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