House pushes bill against cybercrimes

The House Committee on Appropriations has approved the budget provision of the consolidated bill that seeks to penalize cybercrimes, including hacking and cybersex.

Headed by Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, the House panel nodded to the budgetary requirements of the substitute bill, which is a consolidation of nine measures.

“The Committee approved the appropriation provision of the substitute bill with amendments,” according to the House panel report. However, the committee report did not divulge the amendments made by the Abaya panel.

“I’m not aware what specific amendments are, but certainly hurdling the appropriations committee is a positive step forward,” said Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, one of the principal authors of the bill.

Under the bill, those who engage in cyber defamation, reckless damaging or deletion of data, unauthorized transmission of electronic messages or spamming and computer fraud will be slapped with a penalty of imprisonment and a fine of up to P1 million. Even the corporations that violate the provisions of the measure will be fined up to P10 million.

The bill defines cyber defamation as an act of maligning a person through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, among others.

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) has recognized the measure as a cyber security blanket that would protect firms and individuals from being threatened and from being exploited, as it lamented that the country has “inadequate” measure against cybercrimes.

Under the Republic Act 8792 or the Electronic Commerce Act, only software theft, hacking and development and deployment of computer virus are penalized.

The consolidated cybercrime bill, which mandates the CICT to formulate a national cyber security plan, also penalizes those who engage in cyberthreats by threatening the life, security or property of another person with the aid of a computer system, whether using one's real name or assumed name. Cybersex, which includes any form of interactive prostitution or performing sexual acts in front of the webcam, is also punishable under the proposed Act.

The bill’s implementing arms are the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). The measure also tasks the Department of Justice (DoJ) to extend assistance for the investigation of the cyber criminals.

By CHARISSA M. LUCI