Manila Bulletin
False alarm to become real crime; bill prescribing stiffer penalties passed on second reading
False alarm to become real crime; bill prescribing stiffer penalties passed on second reading
False alarm to become real crime; bill prescribing stiffer penalties passed on second reading
Published Feb 12, 2019 08:06 pm
By Ben Rosario
Crying wolf and instigating bomb scares are prohibited acts that could result in stiff fines and prison term under a bill recently passed on second reading in the House of Representatives.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro aired optimism that House Bill 9059 will be passed on final reading and eventually signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte before the end of the 17th Congress in June.
HB 9059 or the proposed Anti-False Bomb Threat Act seeks to prohibit the dissemination of false information on bomb threats, explosive or any other life-threatening or destructive materials.
The proposed measure consolidated five bills authored by Reps. Michelle Antonio (Agbiag Partylist) and Erlpe John Amante (PDP-Laban, Agusan del Norte) will repeal Presidential Decree 1727 that also criminalizes false bomb threats and scares that trigger panic or highly inconvenience the public.
Antonio said PD1727 that was signed by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1980 has been viewed as “archaic” and is soft on violators for imposing a mere P40,000 fine and imprisonment of not more than five years.
“In this day and age, these penalties are tantamount to a mere slap on the wrist, which cannot effectively deter the commission of the said crimes,” Antonio said.
On the other hand, Amante said bomb jokes have brought “undue inconveniences to the public, injuries to persons and even deaths.
“It may be a joke but a bomb joke is not a laughing matter,” said Amante.
The bill penalizes a person who, by word of mouth or through the use of mail, telephone, fax machine, social media or any other means of communication makes a false alarm or scare of an impending bomb explosion.
Persons found guilty of such act face a maximum one-year imprisonment or a fine not exceeding P50,000 or both.
HB 9059 imposes a maximum five years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than P1 million on persons who cause a bomb scare directed at high density or sensitive areas and causes the public evacuation of a dwelling, facility or public transport or results to death or deaths in relation to the chaos created by the threat.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro aired optimism that House Bill 9059 will be passed on final reading and eventually signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte before the end of the 17th Congress in June.
HB 9059 or the proposed Anti-False Bomb Threat Act seeks to prohibit the dissemination of false information on bomb threats, explosive or any other life-threatening or destructive materials.
The proposed measure consolidated five bills authored by Reps. Michelle Antonio (Agbiag Partylist) and Erlpe John Amante (PDP-Laban, Agusan del Norte) will repeal Presidential Decree 1727 that also criminalizes false bomb threats and scares that trigger panic or highly inconvenience the public.
Antonio said PD1727 that was signed by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1980 has been viewed as “archaic” and is soft on violators for imposing a mere P40,000 fine and imprisonment of not more than five years.
“In this day and age, these penalties are tantamount to a mere slap on the wrist, which cannot effectively deter the commission of the said crimes,” Antonio said.
On the other hand, Amante said bomb jokes have brought “undue inconveniences to the public, injuries to persons and even deaths.
“It may be a joke but a bomb joke is not a laughing matter,” said Amante.
The bill penalizes a person who, by word of mouth or through the use of mail, telephone, fax machine, social media or any other means of communication makes a false alarm or scare of an impending bomb explosion.
Persons found guilty of such act face a maximum one-year imprisonment or a fine not exceeding P50,000 or both.
HB 9059 imposes a maximum five years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than P1 million on persons who cause a bomb scare directed at high density or sensitive areas and causes the public evacuation of a dwelling, facility or public transport or results to death or deaths in relation to the chaos created by the threat.