NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
: 
)
First Regular Session 
, 
)
Senate
of tl)C Sst'cterar^
*22 JUL25 P2:00
SENATE
848
S. No.
RECEIVED BV
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, 3R.
AN ACT
PENALIZING PRANK CALLS IN EMERGENCY HOTLINES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In 2005, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG) Issued an appeal to the public to refrain from making prank calls 
to Patrol 117, which was then the Nationwide Emergency Hotline Number. According 
to a report, "99 percent of total calls received by the 117 Call Center in Metro Manila 
... are Illegitimate calls, which Include pranks calls and those seeking directory 
assistance."1
In 2011, the DILG reported that the 117 Hotline had been receiving 13,000 
calls a day. Unfortunately, "only 2% of the calls are made by those in need," and "a 
lot of these [calls received] are prank calls."2
In March 2020, the DILG reported that the Emergency 911 Hotline (which 
replaced Patrol 117 by virtue of Executive Order 56, s. 2018), received 2.54 million 
prank calls, 37,440 legitimate calls, 16,763 non-emergency [calls] and 9.7 million 
incomplete [calls].3
For years, prank calls have infested our government emergency hotlines, 
disrupted the speedy service of our responders to actual emergencies, and possibly 
prevented victims from being properly attended to and from reaching the proper 
authorities since the lines were unnecessarily busy.
1 https://www.philstar.com/metro/2005/12/29/314113/dilg-pranksters-spare-hotline-117
2bttasj//ne.ws.,abs-cbn,com/nation/metro-manila/01/27/ll/prank-calls-Dlague-hotline-117
3
https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/4/DILG-prank-caHs-receive-million.html?fbclicl=lwAR2WUWIfpPP83PrxStsvBMiQS
JIEHv5UanxAgJKvPF4WnCnTizOzBllzLOM


This bill seeks to define and penalize prank calls plaguing our national 
emergency hotlines, consistent with our State policy of protecting the people and 
promoting their general welfare, safety and security. Hefty fines and imprisonment 
are put in place to serve as deterrent to "pranksters" who irresponsibly clog and 
choke the network of our emergency response mechanisms.
The passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
RAMOWBONG REVILLA, JR.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
848
S. No.
of tlje
’22 JUL25 P2:00
RECEIVED BV;
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PENALIZING PRANK CALLS IN EMERGENCY HOTLINES
Be ft enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Sec. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Prank Calls Act"
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
promote the general welfare of the people. Towards this end, the State aims to protect 
public safety and security, to maintain peace and order, to urgently respond to 
emergencies and crisis situations, and to prohibit malicious and improper use of 
telecommunication devices.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
(a) Prank call refers to the use of a service of a telecommunication service 
provider that involves any of the following:
(1) making false requests or false alarm of an emergency, knowing the 
report or information to be false;
(2) willfully conveying false information, hoax or fraudulent report aimed to 
threaten. Intimidate or frighten, or to cause and create confusion, 
inconvenience, distress, or panic;
(3) repeatedly initiating an unnecessary call, without speaking, deliberately 
hanging up or breaking the service connection as or after the call is 
answered;


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(4) making a mischievous or malicious call to trick or fool someone with the 
intention to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, or solicit any response 
which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent.
(b) Emergency refers to a serious, unexpected and often dangerous situation 
requiring immediate attention and action, usually accidents, fires, crime 
incidents, natural disasters, public disturbances, and other circumstances 
of similar nature.
(c) Hotline refers to a direct telecommunication set up for a specific purpose.
Sec. 4. Prohibition. - Emergency hotlines established for the purpose of
responding to emergency and crisis situations shall, at all times, be free from receiving 
unnecessary and senseless calls. It shall be prohibited for any individual to make prank 
calls to any hotline at any time.
Sec. 5. Penalties, - Any person who violates this Act shall be Imprisoned for not 
more than two (2) years or fined not more than One hundred thousand pesos 
(PlOO,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court.
Provided, That the penalties shall be imposed without prejudice to other 
liabilities under the Revised Penal Code or any special law arising out of the prohibited 
act herein.
Sec. 6. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is held Invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
accordingly.
Sec. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,