Lawmaker eyes bill regulating drones in PH

Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan PHOTO FROM CONGRESS.GOV.PH

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan said it might be high time to pass a bill monitoring and regulating the use of drones in the country because of the number of accidents involving these hi-tech devices.

Ilagan said drones have figured out in accidents that happened in Tawi-Tawi and even in Pikit, North Cotabato, but government agencies supposedly tasked to monitor these devices are still at a loss how to go about monitoring them.

“I had asked the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) about the need to register it (drones) but they don’t know how to do it yet,” Ilagan said in an informal forum with Davao reporters over the weekend.

“In Tawi-Tawi, there had been an accident involving drones. I asked the DOTC who are licensing them? Whether manned or unmanned, they need to be monitored, but who? Who will assess whether drones are responsible for the accidents or not? Who will regulate the drones?” she said.

She said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Department of National Defense (DND) seemed to be at a loss as how to deal with it.

“Who are the owners of these drones, why are they not registered?” she asked.

Although a resolution has been filed in Congress to investigate the presence of drones and how are they used in the country, there might be a need to file a bill if these devices are being used by too many people, according to Ilagan.

“You can’t prevent a private individual from operating one, so, there’s a need to regulate, monitor and check what purpose they are used and who are using them, and to assess, in times of accidents,” Ilagan said. “These are high-tech devices used for various purposes. These can also bring about disasters, hence, someone should be held accountable for,” she added.

In Davao city, the regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) earlier announced the agency would use drones to monitor illegal logging activities in the far-flung areas of the region.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earlier confided he refused the US’ proposal to make the city’s old airport as a launching pad for drones in Mindanao.

The question came up after Ilagan was asked to comment over Duterte’s possible change of mind over the entry of US’ forces in Davao following the two explosions here in September.

“It would be a very serious matter of concern if the mayor changes his stand because he’s the only mayor in the country who has been very consistent in barring the US forces entry in Davao,” Ilagan said.