Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 919 
Introduced by Hon. Bernadette S. Barbers 
AN ACT 
RATIONALIZING AND STRENGTHENING THE PHILIPPINE CYBERSECURITY 
POSTURE AND CYBERCRIME RESPONSE  
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The accelerated global adoption of digital technologies has brought undeniable 
benefits, transforming industries and creating new opportunities for economic growth 
and social development. However, this digital shift has also led to an alarming rise in 
cybercrimes, including ransomware attacks, financial fraud, identity theft, and 
cyberterrorism. The Philippines is not immune to this phenomenon, as evidenced by 
significant incidents that threaten national security, economic stability, and public 
safety. 
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) ransomware attack in 
2023 illustrates the escalating sophistication and frequency of cyber threats. The 
cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reports that the Philippines experienced over 15,312 
attempted ransomware attacks against businesses in 2023 alone, making it the fourth 
most targeted nation in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the misuse of emerging 
technologies, such as artificial intelligence (deepfakes) and cryptocurrency, has 
compounded these threats. These tools have been exploited to spread 
misinformation, commit fraud, and evade law enforcement, undermining public trust 
and destabilizing critical institutions. 
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), created under 
Republic Act No. (RA) 10175, the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012,” is tasked to 
coordinate the preparation of appropriate and effective measures to prevent and 
suppress cybercrime activities. While the CICC, an inter-agency body, has made 
strides in fulfilling its mandate, its current resources and capabilities remain 
inadequate to address the rapid evolution and increasing volume of cybercrimes. 
Further, certain measures in subsequent laws such as RA 10844, which transferred 
CICC’s cybersecurity mandate to the Department of Information and Communications 
Technology (DICT), need to be revisited. It is firmly submitted that placing 
cybersecurity and cybercrime prevention and suppression under one roof, i.e., CICC, 
will enhance coordination of the two distinct technical fields, foster joint incidence 
response, and leverage fully the use of shared technologies, which are critical in 
ensuring data and system protection and real-time collaboration and faster response 
time. Thus, there is pressing need to restore the cybersecurity mandate of CICC as 
originally designed. 
July 1, 2025
3:04 pm


Under RA 10175, the CICC is to lead and coordinate efforts to prevent and 
suppress cybercrime, yet its lack of investigative powers, such as subpoena authority, 
has severely limited its effectiveness. Meanwhile, RA 10973 granted similar powers to 
select officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP), recognizing the need for swift 
evidence-gathering 
in 
complex 
investigations. 
Cybercrimes—ranging 
from 
ransomware to financial fraud—demand immediate action to secure volatile digital 
evidence, which the CICC, with its specialized expertise, is uniquely equipped to 
handle. Without subpoena powers, however, the CICC is unable to swiftly compel the 
production of critical evidence, resulting in delays that perpetrators exploit. 
Further, considering that cybersecurity and digital forensics require highly 
technical and specialized skills, talent acquisition and development are critical. 
Needless to say, competitive compensation package and continuing top-of-the-line 
training of the staff are essential to keep the country’s cybersecurity and crime 
prevention and suppression agency robust and relevant. 
Given the acute limitations of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) in attracting 
cyber talents, exemption of CICC from the SSL cannot be seriously opposed. Further, 
enough resources, given the rapidly evolving technology and risks growing in 
sophistication each day, must be committed for continuing staff training. 
Specifically, this bill proposes to: 
•
Streamline CICC’s governance structure;
•
Rationalize roles of agency participants therein to avoid duplication and
leverage the information technology-based competence of CICC;
•
Grant subpoena powers to the CICC Executive Director to ensure that
ephemera digital evidence is swiftly gathered or preserved;
•
Restore CICC’s cybersecurity mandate;
•
Institutionalize the multi-stakeholder and collaborative National Anti-
Cybercrime Hub (NACH);
•
Set out as policy the continuing buildup of cybersecurity and cybercrime
capability; and
•
Attract and maintain the best cybersecurity and anti-cybercrime talent.
The proposed measures are vital to securing a safe and resilient digital 
environment for the Philippines, safeguarding its sovereignty, and promoting public 
trust in the digital space. 
In light of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 HON. BERNADETTE S. BARBERS  
 2nd District, Surigao del Norte 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 919 
Introduced by Hon. Bernadette S. Barbers 
AN ACT 
RATIONALIZING AND STRENGTHENING THE PHILIPPINE CYBERSECURITY 
POSTURE AND CYBERCRIME RESPONSE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Streamlining of the Cybercrime Investigation and 
Coordinating Council (CICC) governance structure and roles. – As an 
amendment to Sec. 25 of RA 10175, the CICC, under Republic Act No. (RA) 10175, 
shall have the governance structure as follows: the Department of Information and 
Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary as Chairperson and the Executive 
Director of the CICC as Vice-Chairperson. The members thereof shall be: the Director 
of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Chief of the Philippine National Police 
(PNP), the Head of the Department of Justice-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC), and 
one (1) representative each from the private sector and the academe. 
There shall be an Executive Committee headed by the Executive Director with 
the rank of Undersecretary and duly designated representatives of the NBI, PNP, and 
the DOJ-OOC. 
SEC. 2. Rationalization of roles and functions in the CICC. – The CICC shall 
coordinate the efforts of law enforcement authorities in enforcing the provisions of RA 
10175 and this Act. 
Further, an operations center shall be established within the CICC composed 
of organic CICC staff which shall be under the direct control and supervision of the 
Executive Director: Provided, that the Executive Director may also request 
participating agencies to assign or detail selected personnel or representative to CICC 
or its specialized facilities, programs, projects or initiatives, to make up the secretariat 
or operating teams, as may be warranted. 
The DOJ–OOC shall be the central authority in all matters related to 
international mutual legal assistance and extradition relative to cybercrimes. 
SEC. 3. Subpoena powers. – The Executive Director of the CICC shall have 
the authority to administer oaths and to issue subpoena ad testificandum and 
subpoena duces tecum in connection with investigations conducted by the CICC. 


 
 
 
Provided, however, that such authority shall be exercised exclusively by the 
Executive Director and shall not be delegated to any other person or office. 
 
 
A subpoena shall clearly state the nature and purpose of the investigation, and 
in the case of a subpoena duces tecum, it shall also contain a reasonable and specific 
description of the books, documents, electronic data, digital files, or other materials 
required to be produced, which must be relevant and material to the investigation. 
 
 
Non-compliance with a duly issued subpoena ad testificandum or subpoena 
duces tecum shall constitute grounds for the filing of an action for indirect contempt 
under the Rules of Court, which shall be filed with the appropriate Regional Trial Court. 
 
 
SEC. 4. Restoration of cybersecurity mandate. – As an amendment to Sec. 
15 (3) of RA 10844, all powers and functions related to cybersecurity including, but 
not limited to the formulation of the National Cybersecurity Plan, the establishment 
and operation of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the 
facilitation of international cooperation on intelligence regarding cybersecurity matters, 
which were previously transferred to the DICT, shall revert to the CICC, including 
CERT’s assets and personnel. 
 
 
The Cybersecurity Bureau of the DICT shall primarily perform policy formulation 
and development relative to cybersecurity. The CICC shall be the lead agency in 
hardening the country’s cybersecurity posture and responding to cyber threats and 
incidents. 
 
 
SEC. 5. Institutionalization of the National Anti-Cybercrime Hub (NACH). 
– The NACH, under the CICC’s administration, shall be institutionalized to support 
cybercrime prevention and suppression, foster the public’s cyber safety, and protect 
the integrity of the country’s digitalization. 
 
 
The NACH shall be situated and maintained in a strategic location in a 
government property given the sensitive and critical nature of its tasks and assets. 
 
 
The CICC shall ensure that the NACH adequately meets the relevant 
international standards for such kind of facility, adopts best practices, engages 
relevant and specialized human resource requirements, and acquires/gains access to 
the necessary equipment, and tools. 
 
SEC. 6. Continuing authority to build up cybersecurity and cybercrime 
capability. – The CICC shall institute a program that will train, develop, and expand 
the ranks, as well as, build up expertise of professionals essential in cybersecurity and 
cybercrime response. It shall leverage existing expertise from the government, 
industry, and the academe for course development and program implementation. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Authority to re-organize CICC. – Subject to Civil Service and budget 
laws, rules, and regulations, the CICC is hereby authorized to formulate and 
implement the necessary re-organization plans and activities. The name of the 
positions and description of qualification standards relating to the new table of 
organization shall take into account the technical nature thereof including the 
reasonable compensation level as prevailing in the sector, among others. The 


 
 
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall actively assist CICC in preparing 
such a reorganization plan, and expedite the processing of the plan and funding 
thereof to support the same. 
 
 
SEC. 8. Compensation and Other Emoluments for CICC officials and 
personnel. – To ensure that the CICC may attract the necessary expertise and talents 
given its highly technical mandate, the compensation and other emoluments of its 
officials and personnel shall be exempted from the coverage of RA No. 6758, 
otherwise known as the “Salary Standardization Act.” For this purpose, their salaries 
and emoluments shall be set based on an objective classification system, taking into 
consideration the highly specialized nature of, importance, and responsibilities 
attached to the respective positions, and shall be submitted to the President of the 
Philippines for his approval. 
 
 
SEC. 9. Support from government agencies. – All heads of departments, 
bureaus, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities of the national government, including 
officials of the local governments, are directed to support the CICC in the formulation 
and implementation of plans, programs, activities, and projects geared towards 
fostering cybersecurity and effectively 
combating cybercrime. 
 
 
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is declared invalid 
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and 
subsisting. 
 
 
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, rules, and 
regulations, or other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,