REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
5628

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Bomb scares posed in heavily populated places have been frequent in the recent years. This
may have cause unnecessary alarm to the public which lead to disruption of regular activities,
damage to property, loss in government emergency response resources, and worst, injuries or
deaths to persons.

Presidential Decree No. 1727, series of 1980, entitled “Declaring as Unlawful the Malicious
Dissemination of False Information or the Willful Making of any Threat Concerning Bombs,
Explosives or Any Similar Device or Means of Destruction and Imposing Penalties
Therefor”, provides the legal basis and penalties in relation to false bomb threats. However,
PD No. 1727 has become outdated and was not fully implemented to address false bomb
threats. Hence, there is a need to enact a law that would impose stiffer penalties and
effectively curb the spread of false information on bomb threats and.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is highly sought.

MANUEL HAN IIL
Representative
Magdalo Para Sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bit No. 2628

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

AN ACT
PROHIBITING THE DISSEMINATION OF FALSE INFORMATION ON BOMB
THREATS, OR ANY OTHER LIFE-THREATENING OR DESTRUCTIVE
MATERIALS AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR

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 “Anti-False Bomb Threat Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State shall ensure the protection of the public from
dissemination of false information on bomb threats, explosives, or nay life-threating or
destructive materials which cause damaging effects to life and property.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:

(a) Bomb refers to a container filled with explosive incendiary material, smoke, gas, or
other destructive substance designed to explode. It can appear obvious or concealed
and can vary in size, shape and sophistication and may not necessarily explode such
as in the case of incendiary and dirty bombs. It may be referred to as Improvised
Explosive Device (IED) or ordnance;

(b) Explosive refers to any material that causes a sudden almost instantaneous, telease of
gas, heat and pressure, accompanied by a loud noise when subjected to a certain
amount of shock pressure or temperature;

(©) High density areas refer to areas which are regularly populated with people, including
public spaces like public parks, airports, seaports, hotels, and malls, or where people
are gathered for an event;

(@) Incendiary device refers to a weapon designed to start fires or destroy sensitive
equipment using fire, that uses materials such as napalm, thermite, magnesium poser,
chlorine triflouride, or white phosphorus;

(©) Life-Threating or destructive materials refers to any matter or substance that is
capable of causing death, including an explosive; incendiary device; poison gas; mine;

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grenade; a rocket having a propellant charge of more than four (4) ounces; a missile
having an explosive; incendiary charge of more than a one- quarter ounce; any type of
weapon, other than a shotgun or shotgun shell, by whatever name known which will,
or which may be readily converted to, expel_a projectile by the action of an explosive
or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of more than one-half inch
in diameter; or any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in
converting any device into a destructive device described above and from which a
destructive device may be readily assembled; and

(Sensitive areas refer to those which are subject to high-risk upon violation of this Act
because of the magnitude of the resulting consequences such as possible losses in
productivity, resources, and religious value, notwithstanding the number of people
present therein, including educational institutions, offices, government institutions,
hospitals, churches and other places of worship.

SEC. 4, Prohibition. - Any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail,
electronic mail, telephone, cellular phone, fax machine, telegraph, printed materials, social
media and other instrument or means of communication, makes any threat or conveys,
communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminate false information,
knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or illegal attempt being made to kill,
injure, or intimidate any individual or group or to unlawfully 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 be penalized as prescribed in
Section 5 thereof.

SEC. 5. Penalties. —

(a) Any person who violates this Act shall be subject to imprisonment of not more than
‘one (1) year or a fine not exceeding Fifty Thousand pesos (50,000.00), or both, at the
discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and
penalized,

(b) If the violation of this Act is directed at high density areas or sensitive areas and
causes the evacuation of a dwelling building, place of assembly, facility, including
public transportation, aircraft, ship and other common carriers, or the stoppage,
cancellation or disruption of any kind of service to the public, or results to death or
deaths in relation to the chaos created therein or losses in productivity and resources,
the penalty shall be imprisonment of not more than five (5) years or fine not
exceeding One million pesos (1,000,000.00), or both, at discretion of the court
having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized.

The foregoing penalties shall be imposed without prejudice to other liabilities under
the Revised Penal Code or any special law, arising out of, or on occasion of the herein
prohibited act.

SEC. 6. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional,
the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.


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SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. — Presidential Decree No. 1727, otherwise known as “Declaring
as Unlawful the Malicious Dissemination of False Information of the Willful Making of Any
Threat Concerning Bombs, Explosives or Any Similar Device or Means of Destruction and
Imposing Penalties Therefor”, is hereby repealed. All other laws, executive orders,
proclamations, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to this Act
are hereby repealed or modified 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,