A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (File photo by KACPER PEMPEL / Reuters)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday agreed to the Private Sector Advisory Council’s (PSAC) recommendation to certify as “priority legislation” four pending bills that aim to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity efforts.
In a meeting in Malacañang, the president told PSAC lead convener Sabin Aboitiz, and Henry Aguda, PSAC digital infrastructure sector head, that he would speak with congressional leaders and see how and what could be done to move the bills and secure their eventual passage.
The bills pending at the Senate include the Cybersecurity Act (Senate Bill No. 1365), the Anti-Mule Act (Senate Bill No. 2039), and the Online Site Blocking Act (Senate Bill Nos. 2150 and 2385).
Senate Bill 1365 includes provisions for identifying and safeguarding critical information infrastructures, as well as potential penalties for underperforming entities in observing the standards and practices to protect digital assets.
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Senate Bill 2039 would criminalize registering or opening an account using a fake identity, selling or transferring an account to unauthorized persons, purchasing or using an account without being the owner, as well as recruitment of people to open accounts for fraudulent purposes.
Senate Bills 2150 and 2385 aim to block websites showing pirated content and protect the creative industry and consumers from the inherent dangers of online content piracy.