MANILA, Philippines – Bomb pranksters, beware.
Your jokes may land you in jail.
This is the intention of House Bill 5294 or the proposed “Anti-Threat Jokes Act of 2014,” which seeks heftier fines on bomb pranksters.
Agusan Del Norte Rep. Erlpe John Amante said bomb jokes only cause flight or ship travel delays and school and work disruptions.
“It may be a joke, but a bomb joke is no laughing matter… Such disturbances to the normal activities of the people not only cause panic and anxiety but also take a toll on the people’s economic productivity,” Amante said.
The bill provides that the state will “ensure public protection from the unnecessary yet damaging effects to life and property of the malicious and willful dissemination of false information on the presence or threats of bombs, explosives, or any life-threatening and destructive materials.”
According to the bill, violators are those who will “maliciously and willfully disseminate, by word of mouth or in written, printed, electronic communications, such as but not limited to electronic mails and social media, or other means, the false presence or threats of bombs, explosives, incendiary devices, and other life-threatening materials such as, but not limited to, noxious gases, poisonous substances, and biological weapons.”
Bomb pranksters face a penalty of six months to one-year imprisonment or a fine of P100,000 to P500,000. It also provides for a penalty of six months to one-year imprisonment or a fine of P300,000 to P1 million against those found to have maliciously and willfully making false accusations against another person.
Amante said the current law that penalizes bomb scarers – Presidential Decree 1727 that was crafted by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos – is outdated and makes conviction of violators more elusive.
For one, the present law lacked safeguards against those who maliciously accuse others of bomb scare.
It also said the present law causes confusion because it assigns such cases to military tribunals or courts.
“These scenarios clearly show that there exists a pressing need to reinforce P.D. 1727 by updating existing provisions, removing jurisdiction from military tribunals or military courts and setting prohibitions on malicious accusations,” Amante said.
Presidential Decree 1727 provides that “Any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail, telephone, telegraph, printed materials and other instrument or means of communication, willfully makes any threat or maliciously conveys, communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminates false information, knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, by means of explosives, incendiary devices, and other destructive forces of similar nature or characteristics, shall upon conviction be punished with imprisonment of not more than five years, or a fine or not more than P40,000 or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized.”
The present law does not grant the violator any bail from trial before the military tribunal and may be subject to an arrest, search and seizure order
The anti-threat jokes bill is now pending before the House Committee on Public Order and Safety.
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