FILE PHOTO Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) vowed on Friday to pursue its complaint against the man who burned a P20 bill in a TikTok video until he is convicted.
The BSP earlier filed a complaint against the man before the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City in coordination with the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group.
“We will pursue this case until conviction,” Mamerto Tangonan, BSP Deputy Governor and head of the Payments and Currency Management Sector, said in a statement sent to INQUIRER.net.
Tangonan said “the act on the video and the use of the video in committing said act are both unlawful.”
He cited Presidential Decree No. 247 which prohibits and penalizes the mutilation, tearing, burning, or destroying currency notes and coins issued by the central bank.
Meanwhile, Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code also punishes persons who, by any means of publication, encourage disobedience to the law.
Aside from these regulations, Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act penalizes all crimes covered by the Revised Penal Code and special laws if committed through or with the use of Information and Communications Technology, said Tangonan.
If convicted, the perpetrator faces imprisonment of up to six years.
“We assure the public that BSP shall continue to protect the integrity of our currency as a safe medium of exchange for economic growth. Therefore, we would like to remind everyone not to mutilate, tear, burn, or destroy our currency,” Tangonan added.
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