FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
) 
) 
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SENATE 
, , 
353(
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/ 
S, B. No..1 
JM 
(In substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 347, 1227, 2180, 2588, ~~~~ a~~'3089, ta:~~ into 
consideration HBN 1409) 
Prepared by the Committees on Public Information and Mass Media and on Justice 
and Human Rights, with Senators Ejercito Estrada, Enrile, Revilla Jr., Villar, Escudero, 
Zubiri, and Cayetano, Alan Peter as authors thereof 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING 
AND 
PENALIZING 
THE 
PILFERAGE 
AND 
THEFT, 
UNAUTHORIZED USE, INTERCONNECTION OR RECEPTION OF ANY SIGNAL 
OR SERVICE OFFERED OVER A CABLE TELEVISION (CATV) OR CABLE 
INTERNET SYSTEM ANDIOR NETWORK OR THROUGH ANY UNAUTHORIZED 
INSTALLATION, ACCESS OR CONNECTION THERETO THROUGH THE USE OF 
CABLE OR OTHER EQUIPMENT AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be referred to as "The Anti Cable 
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Television and Cable Internet Services Pilferage Act of 2009". 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to protect 
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the general public and legitimate operators of (a) cable television (CATV) systems 
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and/or networks that secure programming through the reception of local and foreign 
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satellite, and other electromagnetic signals, and (b) cable internet services that 
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provide access to the worldwide web through the CATV system/network, from 


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unauthorized connection or tapping to existing facilities through wired, wireless or 
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electromagnetic means. Only subscribers duly authorized and/or registered with the 
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CATV and/or cable internet service operator shall be allowed to receive any service 
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or benefit offered and/or operated over a CATV or internet system/network. 
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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
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(a) "Cable television (CATV) system/network" refers to processes and 
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facilities associated with the delivery of signals and programs provided for 
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by broadcast television stations, local and foreign satellite program 
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providers or CATV service operators, through origination, relay !lna 
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reception of electronic or control signals of any design by wired, wireless 
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optical or other technological means for the purpose of providing multlple-
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channel CATV service to multiple subscribers within defined service areas 
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The term shall also include electronic equipment such as digital or analog 
receiver-decoder boxes, set-top and converter boxes as well as, but not 
limited to, master antennae television, satellite master antennae televiSion. 
direct broadcast satellite, multi-point distribution service, a television 
receive-only satellite program distributor and other providers of video and 
audio programming, whatever the technology. 
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(b) "Cable internet system/network" refers to processes, inciuding electronic 
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eqUipment such as modems, associated for the access of the worldWide 
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web through the facilities of the CATV system/network. 
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(C) "Cable television (CATV) service operator" refers to any person, natural or 
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juridical, public or private, granted a Certificate of Authority/Provisional 
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Authority as provided under existing laws, rules and regulations, to install. 
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operate and maintain a CATV system/network and service and is actuallv 
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providing such service to its subscribers. 
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(d) "Cable internet service operator" refers to any person, natural or juridical 
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public or private, which was issued a registration certificate as provider 
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under existing laws, rules and regulations, to provide and facilitate access 
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to the worldwide web through a CATV system/network and is actually 
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providing such service to its subscribers. 
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SEC. 4: Prohibited Acts. - It is hereby declared unlawful for any person. 
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whether natural or juridical, public or private, to: 
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(a) Intercept or receive, or assist in intercepting or receiving, any signal or 
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service offered over CATV and cable internet system/network by tapping. 
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making or causing to be made any unauthorized connection to eXisting 
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wired or wireless facilities with drop, feeder and/or trunk lines, or through 
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the use of electronic equipment such as digital or analog receiver-decoder 
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boxes, 
set-top 
or converter boxes, 
modems 
or any equivalent 
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circumvention devices or methods that allow for unauthorized access or 
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decoding of unencrypted or encrypted satellite program signals or other 
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electromagnetic signals, or unauthorized access into the system/network 


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of the cable internet service operator, or by the recording, manufacture. 
distribution, importation or sale, of intercepted or received CATV signals 
and cable internet service; 
(b) Engage in the importation, sale, lease, distribution or possession of 
electronic equipment such as digital or analog receiver-decoder boxes. 
set-top and converter boxes, modem or any equivalent circumvention 
devices or methods that actually allow for access or decoding of 
unencrypted 
or 
encrypted 
satellite 
program 
signals 
or 
other 
electromagnetic Signals, whether local or foreign, or access Into the 
system/network of the cable internet service operator without the 
authorization of a legitimate CATV operator, whether wired or wireless; 
(c) Knowingly use or receive any direct or indirect benefit from CATV and 
cable internet service through the commission of any of the preceding 
prohibited acts; and 
(d) Wantonly, maliciously or willfully damage, destroy or remove CATV and/or 
cable internet facilities and accessories of authorized CATV and cable 
internet service operators resulting into system disruption or network 
degradation. 
SEC. 5. Prima Facie Evidence. -The presence of any of the following 
circumstances shall constitute prima facie evidence of the illegal tapping. 
interconnection or reception into the CATV or cable internet system/network, by the 


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person benefited thereby, and shall be the basis for (a) the immediate disconneclion 
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by the CATV or cable internet service operator to such person after due notice; (b) 
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the filing of a criminal complaint for violation of the instant act; (c) the holding of a 
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preliminary investigation by the public prosecutor and the subsequent filing in court 
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of the pertinent information; and (d) the lifting of any temporary restraining order or 
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injunction which may have been issued by a competent court or agency against a 
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CATV or cable internet service operator: 
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(1) The presence of drop cable, feeder and/or trunk lines from the CATV or 
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cable internet system/network to the structures and facilities of the 
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unauthorized person which has been confirmed by the CATV or cable 
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internet service operator as not being a duly registered subscriber; 
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(2) The unauthorized tapping of the drop cable, feeder and/or trunk lines Into 
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the CATV or cable internet system/network, and/or the unauthorized 
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installation of electronic equipment such as digital or analogue recelver-
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decoder boxes, set-top and converter boxes, or modems, by persons not 
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duly authorized by the CATV or cable internet service provider; 
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(3) The unauthorized possession and use of electronic equipment such as 
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digital or analogue receiver-decoder boxes, set-top and converter boxes. 
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or modem used to intercept CATV signals or access the cable internet 
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system/network and which equipment have not been duly registered with 
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the CATV or cable internet service operator or have not been covered by 
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the appropriate licenses and permits from the proper government 
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regulatory agency or agencies in accordance with existing laws, rules and 
regulations. 
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SEC. 6. Penalties. - Any person who willfully violates any provision of thiS 
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Act or commits any of the prohibited acts in Section 4 hereof shall be punished by ali 
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imprisonment of not less than six (6) months and one (1) day but not more than SIX 
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(6) years, or a fine ranging from Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,OOO.OO) to Two 
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Hundred Thousand pesos (P200,OOO.OO), or both, at the discretion of the court 
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Provided that, for first time offenders, only the penalty of fine shall be imposed. In 
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the event that the person who is found guilty of violating the provisions of this Act IS 
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unable to pay the fine, subsidiary imprisonment shall be imposed. 
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The maximum penalty shall be imposed if it should be found that: 
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(a) the intercepted signal is transmitted or sent to one or more persons 
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station, establishment or household outside of the household of the 
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person; 
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(b) the person/s are guilty of the installation of devices and means by which 
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signals covered by this Act are intercepted, received and used by others 
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and 
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(c) the immediately preceding illegal act is done for profit. 
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SEC. 7. Recovery of Pilferage Losses. - Any duly authorized CATV or cable 
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intemet service operator may recover pilferage losses which in no case shall be 
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lower than at least one (1) year basic subscription fees presently charged to 


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registered subscribers from such unauthorized persons found to have committed any 
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of the herein prohibited acts. 
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Provided, that in case several persons are found to have cooperated with 
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each other in the commission of the prohibited acts in Section 4 of this Act, the 
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aggrieved CATV operator shall be allowed to recover the full amount of pilferage 
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losses it is entitled to from any of the said persons. Should any two or more persons 
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be found guilty of violating the provisions of this Act, they shall be jointly and 
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severally liable. 
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SEC. 8. Information Dissemination - The National Telecommunications 
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Commission and the various cable television associations in the Philippines shall, in 
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a collective effort, undertake a campaign to inform the consuming public of the 
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existence of this Act within sixty (60) days from its effectivity and at least once a year 
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thereafter. 
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No person shall be held liable under this law for any act committed prior to 
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the lapse of the sixty (60) day period for information dissemination. 
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SEC. 9. Rules and Regulations. - The National Telecommunications 
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Commission, in consultation with the Department of Justice and various cable 
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television associations of the Philippines and other affected parties, shall, within sixty 
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(60) days from the effectivity of this Act, issue the necessary implementing rules and 
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regulations. 
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SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, ordinances, rules 
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regulations and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsitent with this ACl 
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are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - The provisions of this act hereby declared to 
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be separable, and in the event one or more of such provisions are held 
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unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected thereby 
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SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the 
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completion of its publication in the Official Gazelle or in any two (2) national 
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newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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