Pangilinan, Drilon: Review PH criminal laws amid disinformation, online fraud

FILE PHOTO: Senator Francis Pangilinan and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon (right). SCREENGRAB

MANILA, Philippines — After opposition figures fell victim to sham online food orders recently, two senators have sought a review of the country’s existing criminal laws to keep pace with the rise of social media use.

Senator Francis Pangilinan and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate Resolution No. 953 seeking to direct the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes “to conduct a review, in aid of legislation, of the country’s existing criminal laws to consider the rise of social media platforms and the rapid advancement of technology.”

Pangilinan chairs the said committee.

In filing the resolution, the senators noted that while criminal laws in the country have been amended in the past, these have fallen short of the realities of the times.

“The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was passed when social media platforms and other applications were still smaller than what the giants they are today. Some platforms and applications, such as TikTok, Grab Food, and Lalamove, were not even invented in 2012,” the resolution read.

“As technology and social media platforms become more and more integrated into the everyday lives of Filipinos, there is a need to review the country’s existing criminal laws,” it added.

The resolution was filed after three opposition figures—Pangilinan, Vice President Leni Robredo, and Senator Risa Hontiveros—were recently victimized by sham online food orders.

READ: Robredo on P100K sham orders: Burden was not on us but on delivery riders

READ: Another senator falls victim to grocery order scam

READ: Hontiveros eyes possible legal action vs individuals behind food order scam

Pangilinan questioned the timing of these phony online bookings, which happened when opposition members were busy forwarding their platforms in the upcoming election.

“Ayaw nating mag-akusa kung saan nanggaling ang mga fake bookings na ito dahil wala pa naman tayong ebidensya. Ngunit nakakapagtaka lang na naging mas madalas ang ganitong mga cheap tactics sa panahon kung saan abala tayo sa pagbuo ng mga unities sa ating mga kababayan,” Pangilinan said.

(We don’t want to make accusations on where these fake bookings came from because we don’t have evidence. But it’s puzzling that cheap tactics like these happen when we are busy creating unities among our countrymen.)

“Nevertheless, we will not fall victim to this dirty trick. ‘Ika nga [As they say], when they go low, we go high,” he added.

KGA