Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. elo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Bill seeks to institutionalize and strengthen a Warning, Alert and
Response Network (WARN) 911 as the system which coordinates with the first
major responder agencies during times of emergency. It also caters a greater
involvement of local responders in forming regional, provincial, city, municipal
and barangay 911 public safety answering centers. This gives the community

stakeholders a more inclusive engagement in responding to emergencies.

Furthermore, this Bill ensures that purpose of the emergency 911 hotline is
fully maximized by the citizens in distress. The access to the emergency
hotline is designed to be without any charge or cost. This Bill also adds a
safety net in guaranteeing the protection of our citizens. To prevent
miscarriage of its access to the government's emergency responders, callers
may still access the WARN 911 number even without credit or load at no cost.
Moreover, subscribers of mobile network may tap to other networks when they
call the WARN 911 hotline should there be absence of or low coverage of their
own subscribed network.

As part of the State thrust in disaster prevention, mitigation and response,
this Bill also integrates WARN 911 as a partner of the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council and its local counterparts. Being a


repository of distress calls and notices from the community, the hotline shall
serve as a source of early warning system useful in upholding the mandate of

disaster risk reduction.
‘The Bill also includes penalties against pank-callers giving false information
and faulty reports. The penalties ranging from the imposition of fines to the
suspension of the caller’s subscription to their network and imprisonment.

The institutionalization of the emergency hotline WARN 911 presents a crucial
service for the protection and security of the Filipino people that shall

transcend even beyond the present administration.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this Bill is earnestly sought.

JOHNNY T. PIMENTEL


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. euoe

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE WARNING, ALERT, AND RESPONSE
NETWORK 911 ACT OF 2016 OR THE ‘ WARN 911’ AS THE
NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY HOTLINE NUMBER AND PROVIDING
PENALTY TO PRANK CALLS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as WARN 911 Act
of 2016.

SECTION 2. Institutionalizing WARN 911. - The WARN 911 is hereby
institutionalized as the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number.

a. There shall be WARN hotline 911 Public Safety Answering Center
(Call Center) in every Region, Province, City, Municipality and
Barangay.

b. The Major Service Responders of WARN 911 are:

1. The Philippine National Police

2. The Bureau of Fire Protection

3. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology

4. The Philippine Coast Guard

5. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

6. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

7. The Emergency Assistance and Response Network (EARnet)
8. The MMDA (for Metro Manila),

9. PNRC, Boy Scout of the Philippines and Volunteer NGOs
10. Others as affiliated civic sector groups

11. Other affiliated public safety volunteers


c. The Emergency Assistance and Response Network is a network of
responders composed of Government and Private Institutions/Non-
Government Institution, EMS and Special Rescue Unit of the Bureau of
Fire, in coordination with the DPWH, DSWD, MMDA, DOH, Government
agencies and with the cooperation of Private Hospitals, Electric
Companies, Water Districts, Civil Rescue Group/Organization, Boy
Scout and Girls Scout of the Philippines and other affiliated public
safety volunteers and civic sector groups.

SECTION 3. Institutionalizing the WARN 911 Community - Based
Volunteer Network. - WARN 911 Community-Based Volunteers Network is
hereby institutionalized constituting Volunteer Service Responders Network.

a. There shall be organized a group to advocate, train, organize, mobilize and
monitor, (ATOMM) field level implementers of WARN 911, headed by the Chief
of Police of the cities/municipalities as Team Leaders with the DILG C/M
LGOOs as Co-Team Leaders and Members from various GOs and NGOs
sectors, such as representative of the Office of the Mayor, Municipal/City Liga
President, Municipal/City SK Chairman, Dep-Ed, Boy Scout and Girl Scout
Coordinators, BFP, BJMP, NGOs and other affiliated public safety volunteers
and civic sector groups.

b. There shall be WARN 911 Barangay-Based Volunteers Service Responders,
to be organized in various components such as the studentry, Boy Scouts,
Girl Scouts, SK and out- of- school youth.

SECTION 4. Institutionalizing the WARN 911 Development Office. -The
existing DILG PATROL “117” Development Group activated by the DILG under
the PATROL “117” Commission, is hereby institutionalized to implement the
WARN 911 Program, which shall consist of uniformed personnel of the interior
sector, and non-uniform plantilla of the WARN 911.

a. The Streetwatch Plantilla and IACCAG Plantilla now of the DILG shall
be transferred to the WARN 911 Development Office and shall be called
WARN 911 Plantilla, subject to revision.

b. The said unit shall be headed by a Director with an equivalent
plantilla of Director IV, to be appointed by the President, upon
recommendation by the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government,
subject to Civil Service rules and regulations.

c. The WARN 911 Development unit shall be staffed with personnel,
subject to existing Civil Service rules and regulations.

d. The organization of the WARN 911 Development office shall have
parallel structure in the regional level, headed by a Regional Officer,
and in the field level as necessary to monitor in the province, city and
municipality of barangay operations.


SECTION 5. The WARN 911 Commission. - The present PATROL “117”
Commission as per Presidential Administrative Order No.36 dated 03 May
2002, in conjunction with Presidential Administrative Order No.124 dated 02
June 2003 is hereby renamed as WARN 911 Commission and shall continue
to exist.

The Commission shall be headed by:

1. The DILG Secretary / Chairman of NAPOLCOM, as Chairman
2. The DND, DOST, and DICT Secretaries as Vice Chairmen
The Commission members are:

a, The Government Sector
+ The Department of Education

* The Commission on Higher Education
* The MMDA

* The DSWD

* PHILVOCS

* PAGASA

o

. The Private Sector
Representatives from the telecommunication companies given
legislative franchise
‘The Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP)
Representatives from television networks granted legislative franchises
The Philippine National Red Cross

c. Four other members, to be selected by the Chairman from the private
sector/organization.

SECTION 6. Functions of WARN 911:
1. Prepare and recommend for the approval of the President proposals,
measures and thrust that would effectively respond to the national security
and development interest.

2. Prepare and recommend policy on crime prevention, public safety
operations of volunteers and stakeholders.

3. Perform such other duties and functions as the President may direct.
SECTION 7. Functions of WARN 911 Development Office:
1. Responsible in planning and implementation of the WARN 911 Program.

2. Institutionalize the hotline 911 as a nationwide network.
3. Institutionalize the localized Service Responders Network.


4. Institutionalize the ATOMM Team Network (in every city and municipality).
5. Institutionalize the Barangay-Based Volunteer Service Responders
Network.

6. Conduct review, readiness test, monitor and evaluate the response
capability of all systems in 911 operations.

7. The WARN 911 Development unit is the Secretariat of the WARN 911
Commission.

8. Undertake such other duties as the Commission may direct.

SECTION 8. Coordination with the National and Local Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Councils. - The WARN 911 Development Office
shall coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) and the corresponding Local Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Councils (LDRRMCs) to address, prevent and mitigate a
potential or existing disasters in the community.

SECTION 9. Involvement of Other Agencies of the Government. - All
Government Agencies are stakeholders in the promotion of peace and order,
public safety and disaster risk reduction and response. Hence, it shall provide
necessary support in the general advocacy and the implementation of the
Program.

SECTION 10. Participation of the Private Sector. All Private Sectors and
NGOs are enjoined to actively participate in whatever capacity to advocate
crime prevention and public safety.

SECTION 11. Calls Free of Charge. The Secretary of Information and
Communications Technology shall formulate and issue appropriate
implementing rules and regulations necessary in ensuring that no fees are
charged to callers of WARN 911. Provided that the WARN 911 hotline may be
availed of by callers with zero (0) credit balance. Provided further that the
access to the emergency call may be channeled through the cellular networks
with the strongest coverage available within the area during the absence of
network coverage of the caller’s home network.

SECTION 12. Penalties for prank and illegitimate calls. Any person
accessing 911 for the purpose of making a prank call, false alarm, deceitful
complaint, or giving untrue information shall be subjected to the following
penalties:

1. A fine of P5,000 for the first offense;

2. The suspension of the network subscription of the caller and a fine of
P10,000 for the second offense;

3. The suspension of the network subscription of the caller, a fine of
P20,000 and imprisonment for a period of fifteen (15) days to thirty (30)
days at the discretion of the court;


4. The suspension of the network subscription of the caller, a fine of
P50,000 and an imprisonment for a period of one month and one day
to six months, at the discretion of the court for the succeeding offenses

Section 13. Non-applicability of RA 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Act. A
call made to WARN 911 constitutes as a waiver by the caller for the protection
granted by RA 4200 and the recording of the call shall be available as evidence
against the caller.

Further, any telecommunications company may be compelled through a
subpoena duces tecum issued by a duly authorized government agency to
disclose the name, location, among other details, of the owner or subscriber
of the telephone line where any act contrary to the provisions of the preceding
section was established to have originated.

SECTION 14. Funding. Initial budget of the operations of WARN 911
Development Office shall be sourced from the savings of the Department of
the Interior and Local Government allotted to the PATROL “117” Commission
and from the community-based funds. Thereafter, funding requirements shall
be included in the regular appropriation of the concerned Department.

SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Guidelines. — The Secretary of
Interior and Local Government shall formulate and issue appropriate
implementing rules and regulations necessary in the efficient and effective
implementation of any and all of the provisions of this Order.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. ~ All other executive issuances inconsistent
with this Order are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Effectivity. — This act shall take effect after 15 days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,