Senate passes cybercrime bill on final reading
Tuesday, 31 January 2012 00:00
DESPITE the hectic schedule on the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the Senate fulfilled its promise to give equal importance to legislative work as it passed on third and final reading on Monday the cybercrime bill imposing strict penalties for internet-related crime offenses such as online theft, fraud and hacking. The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or Senate Bill No. 2796, sponsored by Senator Edgardo Angara, seeks to empower law enforcement agencies to investigate, apprehend and prosecute individuals committing internet-related crimes.
Angara said SBN 2796 aims to ensure internet security to the public with the rapidly changing technology as internet usage becomes more prominent, especially in social networking. "A large chunk of human activity nowadays is no longer merely physical -- it occurs in the internet. Crime and harm are thus no longer merely physical -- they can occur online as well. There is a need for us to innovate security measures and enact laws that will help protect us in the digital world," Angara said.
Under the bill, Angara said, computer forgery, computer-related fraud, cybersex and child pornography will be considered punishable offenses. He cited the 2012 forecasts from Kaspersky Labs, a Russian Internet security firm, which stated that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is one of the regions most vulnerable to "cyber-attack." Passage of the bill, he said, is urgent. PNA
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