Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1333 
Introduced by Representative Roman T. Romulo 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10175, or the "Cybercrime Prevention 
Act of 2012," to address the growing use of information and communications 
technology (ICT) in large-scale criminal activities such as phishing, online fraud, and 
data breaches. 
In 2024, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) reported 
receiving 10,004 complaints -three times the number recorded in the previous year. 1 
This supports the notion that cybercriminals now exploit the reach and speed of the 
internet to commit offenses affecting thousands of victims simultaneously, with serious 
consequences for public trust and the national economy. 
To address this, the bill classifies certain !CT-enabled offenses, particularly 
those involving mass phishing schemes, as acts of economic sabotage and heinous 
crimes, deserving the most severe penalties under the law. It also introduces 
amendments to ensure that the law remains responsive to the evolving threat 
landscape and continues to protect the integrity of digital infrastructure, as well as to 
preserve public confidence in the digital economy. 
Hence, the approval of the proposed measure is earnestly sought. 
'?--- 
ROMAN T. ROMULO 
Lone District, Pasig City 
1 Rainier Allan Ronda, 'Cybercrime Complaints Triple in 2024 - CICC', The Philippine Star (online), 3
March 2025, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/03/03/2425442/cybercrime-complaints-triple-
2024-cicc (accessed 30 June 2025). 
July 7, 2025
8:15 am


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1333 
Introduced by Representative Roman T. Romulo 
AN ACT  
STRENGTHENING THE CYBERCRIME PREVENTION MEASURES, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10175, OR THE “CYBERCRIME 
PREVENTION ACT OF 2012” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10175 is hereby amended as 
1 
follows: 
2 
“SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  The State recognizes the vital role of 
3 
information and communications industries such as content production, 
4 
telecommunications, broadcasting electronic commerce, and data 
5 
processing, in the nation’s overall social and economic development. 
6 
The State also recognizes the importance of providing an environment 
7 
conducive to the development, acceleration, and rational application and 
8 
exploitation of information and communications technology (ICT) to 
9 
attain free, easy, and intelligible access to exchange and/or delivery of 
10 
information; and the need to protect and safeguard the integrity of 
11 
computer, computer and communications systems, networks, and 
12 
databases, and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of 
13 
information and data stored therein, from all forms of misuse, abuse, and 
14 
illegal access by making punishable under the law such conduct or 
15 
conducts. THE STATE LIKEWISE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE 
16 
CAPACITY 
OF 
INFORMATION 
AND 
COMMUNICATIONS 
17 
TECHNOLOGY TO BE USED AS A MEANS OF PERPETRATING 
18 
CRIME IN BULK AND AT A SCALE PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD OF, HAS 
19 
BEEN EXPLOITED BY CRIMINALS AND CRIMINAL SYNDICATES IN 
20 
PERPETRATING FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES TO UNDERMINE THE 
21 


2 
 
TRUST OF THE PUBLIC IN THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AN THE 
1 
EMERGING NEW ECONOMY IT SUPPORTS. DUE TO THESE 
2 
DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY, THE STATE 
3 
DECLARES THAT THE COMMISSION OF CERTAIN CRIMES UNDER 
4 
THIS 
ACT 
USING 
INFORMATION 
AND 
COMMUNICATIONS 
5 
TECHNOLOGY IS A FORM OF ECONOMIC SABOTAGE AND A 
6 
HEINOUS CRIME WHICH DESERVES THE MAXIMUM LEVEL OF 
7 
PUNISHMENT UNDER THE LAW. In this light, the State shall adopt 
8 
sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat such offenses by 
9 
facilitating their detection, investigation, and prosecution at both the 
10 
domestic and international levels, and by providing arrangements for 
11 
fast and reliable international cooperation.” 
12 
SEC. 2. Section 3 of the same Act is hereby amended to insert certain terms 
13 
as follows and renumbered accordingly: 
14 
“SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following 
15 
terms are hereby defined as follows: 
16 
xxx 
17 
“(C) BULK EMAIL MASS MAILER REFERS TO A SERVICE OR 
18 
SOFTWARE USED TO SEND ELECTRONIC MAIL EN MASSE. 
19 
xxx 
20 
“(O) PHISHING REFERS TO A SOCIAL ENGINEERING SCHEME TO 
21 
OBTAIN OR ANY ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN SENSITIVE INFORMATION 
22 
SUCH AS USERNAMES, PASSWORDS, BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS, 
23 
CREDIT CARD, DEBIT CARD, AND E-WALLET INFORMATION, 
24 
AMONG OTHER ELECTRONIC CREDENTIALS, BY DISGUISING AS 
25 
A TRUSTWORTHY ENTITY IN AN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION 
26 
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ILLEGALLY ACCESSING A VICTIM’S 
27 
ONLINE ACCOUNT FOR FINANCIAL GAIN. 
28 
“[(n)] (P) Service provider refers to: 
29 
“(1) xxx; [and] 
30 
“(2) xxx[.]; AND 
31 
“(3) ANY ENTITY CONTRACTED BY ANOTHER ENTITY, WHETHER 
32 
DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN, TO PROCESS ANY DATA OR 
33 
INFORMATION 
OF 
ANY 
PERSON 
WHEREVER 
LOCATED, 
34 
INCLUDING 
ENTITY 
PROVIDING 
BUSINESS 
PROCESS 
35 
OUTSOURCING AND SIMILAR SERVICES.”  
36 


3 
 
“[(o)] (Q) Subscriber’s information refers to any information contained in 
1 
the form of computer data or any other form that is held OR ACCESSED 
2 
by a service provider, relating to subscribers, WHETHER LOCATED IN 
3 
THE PHILIPPINES OR NOT, of its services other than traffic or content 
4 
data and by which identity can be established: 
5 
xxx 
6 
“(R)  IDENTIFYING INFORMATION REFERS TO ANY NAME OR 
7 
NUMBER THAT MAY BE USED ALONE OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH 
8 
ANY OTHER INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY ANY SPECIFIC 
9 
INDIVIDUAL, INCLUDING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 
10 
“(1) NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER, 
11 
PASSPORT NUMBER, TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OR OTHER 
12 
GOVERNMENT-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 
13 
“(2) UNIQUE BIOMETRIC DATA, SUCH AS FINGERPRINT OR 
14 
OTHER UNIQUE PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION; 
15 
“(3) UNIQUE ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, ADDRESS, 
16 
OR ROUTING CODE; AND 
17 
“(4) TELECOMMUNICATION IDENTIFYING INFORMATION OR 
18 
ACCESS DEVICE. 
19 
“[(p)] (S) Traffic data or non-content data refers to any computer data 
20 
other than the content of the communication, including, but not limited 
21 
to, the communication’s origin, destination, route, time, date, size, 
22 
duration, or type of underlying service.” 
23 
SEC. 3. Section 4 of the same Act is amended as follows: 
24 
“SEC. 4. Cybercrime Offenses. – The following acts constitute the offense of 
25 
cybercrime punishable under this Act: 
26 
“(a) Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer 
27 
data and systems: 
28 
“(1) xxx 
29 
“(2) xxx 
30 
“(3) Data Interference. – The intentional or reckless alteration, INPUTTING, 
31 
damaging, deletion or deterioration of computer data, electronic document, or 
32 
electronic data message, without right, including the introduction or 
33 
transmission of viruses, REGARDLESS OF WHO CONTROLS OR OWNS 
34 
THE COMPUTER DATA. 
35 


4 
 
“xxx 
1 
“(b) Computer-related Offenses: 
2 
“xxx 
3 
“(2) Computer-related Fraud. – The unauthorized input, alteration, or deletion 
4 
of computer data or program or interference in the functioning of a computer 
5 
system, causing ANY FORM OF damage, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, 
6 
LEGAL OR CONTRACTUAL, thereby with fraudulent intent: Provided, That if 
7 
no damage has been caused, the penalty imposable shall be one (1) degree 
8 
lower. 
9 
“xxx 
10 
“(4) ECONOMIC SABOTAGE. – ANY OFFENSE PERPETRATED UNDER 
11 
THIS SUBSECTION USING A BULK EMAIL MASS MAILER OR ANY 
12 
SERVICE, SOFTWARE, OR OTHER METHOD OF DELIVERY CALCULATED 
13 
TO UTILIZE THE MASSIVE REACH OF THE INTERNET TO REACH THE 
14 
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VICTIMS, PURSUANT TO A “PHISHING” OR 
15 
OTHER SIMILAR FRAUDULENT SCHEME, SHALL BE PUNISHED AS AN 
16 
ACT OF ECONOMIC SABOTAGE.”  
17 
SEC. 4. Section 5 of the same Act is amended as follows: 
18 
“SEC. 5. Other Offenses. – The following acts shall also constitute an offense: 
19 
“(a) Aiding or abetting in the Commission of Cybercrime. – Any person who 
20 
willfully abets or aids in the commission of, OR INFLUENCES OR DECEIVES 
21 
ANOTHER TO COMMIT any of the offenses enumerated in this Act shall be 
22 
held liable. 
23 
“(b) xxx 
24 
“(C) FAILURE TO SURRENDER COMPUTER DATA OR COMPUTER 
25 
SYSTEM. – ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY AND UNLAWFULLY 
26 
POSSESSES OR FAILS TO SURRENDER ANY COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT 
27 
CONTAINS COMPUTER DATA THAT IS CONSIDERED PERSONAL 
28 
INFORMATION, SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR PRIVILEGED 
29 
INFORMATION UNDER THE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10173, OR THE “DATA 
30 
PRIVACY ACT OF 2012” SHALL BE HELD LIABLE. 
31 
“(D) SOLICITATION TO COMMIT CYBERCRIME. – ANY PERSON WHO 
32 
WILLFULLY PROPOSES, SOLICITS, OR INDUCES ANOTHER PERSON TO 
33 
COMMIT ANY OF THE OFFENSES UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE HELD 
34 
LIABLE.” 
35 


5 
 
SEC. 5. Section 6 of the same Act is amended to insert a second paragraph as 
1 
follows: 
2 
“SEC. 6. All crimes defined and penalized by the Reised Penal Code, as 
3 
amended, and special laws, if committed by, through and with the use of 
4 
information and communications technologies shall e covered by the relevant 
5 
provisions of this Act: Provided, That the penalty to be imposed shall be one 
6 
(1) degree higher than that provided for by the Revised Penal Code, as 
7 
amended, and special laws, as the case may be. 
8 
“THE PROSECUTION OF THE OFFENSES UNDER THIS ACT MAY BE 
9 
INITIATED BY ANY OFFENDED PARTY OR ANY AFFECTED SERVICE 
10 
PROVIDER.” 
11 
SEC. 6. Section 8 of the same Act is amended to insert a fourth paragraph as 
12 
follows:  
13 
“SEC. 8. Penalties. – Any person found guilty of any of the punishable acts 
14 
enumerated in Sections 4(a) and 4(b) of this Act shall be punished with 
15 
imprisonment of prision mayor or a fine of at least Two hundred thousand pesos 
16 
(PhP200,000.00) up to a maximum amount commensurate to the damage 
17 
incurred or both. 
18 
“Any person found guilty of the punishable act under Section 4(a)(5) shall be 
19 
punished with imprisonment of prision mayor or a fine of not more than Five 
20 
hundred thousand pesos (PhP500,000.00) or both. 
21 
“If punishable acts in Section 4 (a) are committed against critical infrastructure, 
22 
the penalty of reclusion temporal or a fine of at least Five hundred thousand 
23 
pesos (PhP500,000.00) up to maximum amount commensurate to the damage 
24 
incurred or both shall be imposed. 
25 
“ANY PERSON FOUND GUILTY OF AN OFFENSE THAT CONSTITUTES 
26 
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE UNDER SECTION 4(B)(4) SHALL BE PUNISHED 
27 
WITH LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN ONE 
28 
MILLION PESOS (PHP1,000,000.00) BUT NOT MORE THAN FIVE MILLION 
29 
PESOS (PHP5,000,000.00). 
30 
“xxx”  
31 
SEC. 7. All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts 
32 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are repealed or amended 
33 
accordingly. 
34 
SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
35 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
36 
Approved, 
37