FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF TEIE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Third Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S. No. 3 3 9  
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i;\ 
Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV 
r “
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Approximately, there are 200 overnight ocean-going vessels worldwide. It was estimated that in 
2007 alone, 12,000,000 passengers were to take a cruise avddwide. With these figures, 
however, few vacationing passengers on vessels had been aware of their potential vulnerability 
to crime while on an ocean voyage’. 
In the United States, sexual and physical assaults on vessels were the leading crimes reported to 
and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These crimes at sea can involve attacks 
both by passengers and crewmembers on other passengers and crewmembers2. 
Admittedly, it can be difficult for professional criminal investigators to immediately secure an 
alleged crime scene on a vessel, recover evidence of an onboard offense, and identify or 
interview potential witnesses to the alleged crime. Obtaining reliable crime-related data from 
governmental sources can be as much as difficult, in view of the fact that multiple countries may 
be involved when a crime occurs on the high seas, including the flag country for the vessel, the 
country of citizenship of particular passengers, and any countries having special or maritime 
jurisdiction. 
Given the growing fright in countries such as the United States, a legislation that seeks to 
enhance safety of the passengers is essentially needed in order to prevent similar incidents from 
happening. 
This bill seeks to require the owner of the passenger lines, cargo lines, and all types of marine 
vessels to upgrade, modernize, and adhere to specific requirements in view of guaranteeing the 
safety and security of passengers as well as the crew on board. 
In view of the foregoing, passage of this measure is earnestly requested 
WWL- 
T NIO “S NNY” F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
Data retrieved at wwwopyeaconaess.oix on 01 June2009. 
I ’ Ibid 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
9 i.ijR 1 I-; 
j! 
~ : ;fj 
SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes rV 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE THE SECURITY AND SAFETY OF 
PASSENGERS AND CREW ON VESSELS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
ARTICLE I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Vessel Securily and 
Accountability Act of 2009”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Pulicy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote 
the safety of passengers in vessels navigating the waters. It shall also be the policy of the State to 
adhere to standards that ensure the security of the passengers as well as crewmembers in each 
vessel. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Term -For purposes of this Act, the following shall refer to: 
a) decibel or ds- refers to a unit of relative loudness, electric voltage, or current equal 
to ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of two readings. For sound, the 
decibel scale runs from zero for the least perceptible sound to 130 for sound that 
causes pain. 
b) Department - refers to the Department of Transportation and Communication 
(DOTC) 
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c) passenger stateroom - a large and luxuriously furnished private cabin on a ship or a 
private sleepiiig coiirpaitiiieiit Oii a triiki; 
d) Secretary - refers to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and 
Coiiii1imiidoii (DGTC); 
e) Vessel - refers to passenger lines, cargo lines, and all types of marine vessels. 
ARTICLE ~1l 
p c ~ n n  
C ~ O T T ~ T - P  r A -  n 0 m n m w  nn r Tnxvxsmw 
~DLYWL 
DJ!A,UNI\ 
miqu D & ~ ~ I  
I -~J,-LVIJ!LI.ITS 
SEC. 4. Vessel Design, Construction, and Retrofitting Requirements. - Each passenger 
vessel to wliidi this sii'isectioii ~ p p i k j  
siiaii coiiippiy i&h the foiiowiiig desigi aiid coiisiructioii 
standards: 
a) Tiie v.esse: slia:l be 
.W.idi 
iaiis tliai a-e located 
less CiXIi 4 ;;2 feet 
above the deck. 
lo) Ea& passeiiger stateioolii 
cie-w- 
siya;l 
be eqiFped -with eiitq ~oous 
dlai 
include peep holes and security latches. 
C) Fire safety codes slid: be iiiipkiiieiiied. 
d) The vessel shall integrate technology that can he used for detecting passengers who 
I.,.. 
iiave falleii oveibotad, to the ejrieiii that such iechiiology is avaihble. 
e) The vessel shall he equipped with a sufiicieni number of operable acoustic hailing 
aid -wa3jiiig devices io 
36e degTees of cOniiiiiiiica~oii cap&ilicy aiowid Cie 
vessel. The acoustic hailing and warning devices shall be capable of communicating 
deai v.oice iiiStiXiiiOiiS to XppioacjGiig 
vessels iliai 
500 y.m& a-w-ay., 
88 
of 
background noise at the listener's position with 90 percent intelligibility. The 
biGadcaStS iiiade by S U d i  devices shall bE &&~GIid 
iii iiiiiure so irS iiOi COiifUSE 0 t h  
vessel operators who are not in the security zone and to limit unnecessary noise. The 
device coil~ro~j 
of iiarbors aiid 
whenever another vessel approaches within 500 yards of the passenger vessel. 
be iipaiuled aid Opeiab+~(jk-iiig iraiisitS in aii: 
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SEC. 5. Crew Access to Passenger Staterooms - The owner, charterer, managing 
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operator, iiiasta, oi iiidividiA iii &age ofa vessel to wliicli this sectioii applies &ail: 
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a) establish and implement procedures and restrictions concerning which crewmembers 
SEC. 6. Log Book and Reporting Requirements. L 
a) Logging iii. - The owner, ciiiiiziei, maiiaging operaiiroi, master, or iii&vi&ud in 
charge of a vessel to which this section applies shall: 
lj record iii a log book iepiis (iii r ~ j ~ i t e d  
death, iiiissiiig iiidiVidiiak, aiid ea& 
significant alleged crime committed on the vessel, and all passenger and 
ciewiiieiiiber Cxiiplaints iegaidiiig theft, sexual iitassiiieiit, aid  assault^; aiid 
2) make such log book available: 
i. ujoii request to tiny agent O f  the Natkiial BiXeZu of hiV&@itioil, 
aliy 
member of the Coast Guard, and any law enforcement officer; and 
ii, .. to ~ i e  coast 
Commandant. 
kl aii e;ec~uliic foiiiiat piesciibed by. tiie 
b) &tajls Required, Tiie iiifoniiation iecor&d midei paragixp:i sliai: iii&U&, at a 
minimum: 
1, 
11 the type aid the iiaiiie ofv€ssel; 
2) the flag under which the vessel was operating at the time the reported incident 
occuriid; 
3) age of the victim 
4) i;ie iiat-ue of tlie 
crkiie or coiiyp:aiiii, as xFjiicabie, ;iiclu&lig .&.iietiier 
the perpetrator was a passenger or a crewmember; 
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5) the vessel's position at the time of the incident, if known, or the position of 
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PA,-- .'.-.'L1l ..^._ 
tliC VesSCl ill tlle LllllC 01 UIG lllllldl IC@$ 
6 )  the time, date, and method of the initial report and the law enforcement 
a.utlior.~y. to w;y;cli the ii-&ial rqofi -was 
7) the case number or other identifier provided by the law enforcement authority 
I 
L:-L'L-:.-:L: 
I 
...II._ 
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to WIIIW LIIG 1 1 1 1 1 ~  
lepoit was nlaue, a d  
8) whether the reported incident occurred on Iand or onboard. 
c) ReyiiiTeiiieiii To 
criiiies =t:iei- ~ifoj.iiLa~ioii, - 
1) General Requirement. - The master of a passenger vessel to which this 
seciioii avplies: 
i. shall contact the nearest National Bureau of Investigation Field Office 
or Legat &tLaclie 
by te:qplivliie aj 
aj possi'o:e 
tiie occuil'eiice 
on board the vessel of an incident involving homicide, suspicious 
serio.us 
bodily injury, any offense to which existing law applies, firing or 
death, a missiiig pliic;pp;ile 
iiaeioiia;, *Ki&ia-ppiiig, assaii:t 
.--._ 
^._._ 
-,.L r,... -.---- 
iaiipaiiig w
i
t
~
~
 
~ J I G  VGSSC~, or thief; oFiijoiiey DT pr~pieiQ, to rzijoit the 
incident; 
ii. 
fiirrisk a .*TiKeii 
repol.i of tlie i*ici&it 
facsimile or eleciioiiic 
mail to the Coast Guard National Command Center and by facsimile to 
LIIC luatioixal Eureau of h?&g&iiri; 
iii. may report any serious incident that does not meet the reporting 
requireiiieiiis 
attention by the National Bureau of Investigation to the nearest Field 
Office 
iv. may report any other criminal incident involving passengers or 
A,. - x, 
&use 
(1) aid ilia: 
does iiot require hiiiiiediare 
Legal AKiiaclie 'Oy facsiiil& or electroiiic iiiz;l; 
ciewiiiaiibers, oi both, to the iocal goveriijiieiit law eiiforceiiieiit 
authority. 
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2) Incidents To Which Subparagraph (1) Applies - Subparagraph (1) applies to 
aili iiicideiit iiiv.o:viiig ciiiiiinal activhy 
i. the ship, regardless of regishi, is owned, in whole or in part, by a 
Fi:ipiiio 
regadless of the matioii&:ity 
of tiie v.ictiiii 
perpetrator, and the incident occurs when the vessel is within the 
adiiiiraky aii(j iiiar&iiiie j.m-is&ic~oii of 
;lii:ippiiies; 
ii. the incident concerns an offense by or against a Philippine national 
coiiiiiiitted 
iii. the incident occurs in the Territorial Sea of the Philippines, regardless 
flie j.@-is&ctioii of aiiy- iiatioii; 
i-&jiTaliQ oftlie vessei, tiie v-ictiiii, 
tiie pel-pe~i-atoi-; 
iv. the incident concerns a victim or Perpetrator who is a Philippine 
iiatioii& oii & 
&@-iiig a 
dcpa&d froiii or .w-i: alive 
at a Philippine port. 
SEC. 7. Crew Database Requirement. - The Secretary shall prescribe regulations that 
tiie o-*iier of eal?li 
to .*.liiCli this seeticin aiip&s to pafiicipate iii tlie establisliiiient 
and maintenance of a database for reporting all individuals whose employment on such a vessel 
iiasioee-- 
-_I____ 
- & - i r  - _  ___- 
..L.I....~-..O.~L:-.. 
IL\ -\ 
I1 ~ G l l l ~ ~ l ~ d l G U  
101 il llldlLCl I C ~ ~ l l G U  
UllUCl 3GLLIUII (U)(d). 
SEC. 8. .?qe .E:$. - The wVm: sf a vesse! ts which t!% sectim appkes sha!!: 
a) maintain on the vessel adequate, in-date supplies of anti-retroviral medications and 
0 t h  imdiciitioiis used tci piweat sexiiiilly ti%~~iiii;;ed 
d i ~ e i i ~ e ~  
iifiei ii ~exiid 
Z S S T I ~ ;  
b) maintain on the vessel equipment and materials for performing a medical examination 
I ^  ...-,.. ..I^ Ll - 
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LU CVillUillC UiG pilLlCll1 IU1 LlilUlllil, LlCdl IIlJUly, illlU LUIICLL I~ICIIMc 
GVIUGIILC, 
c) make available on the vessel at all times an individual licensed to practice as a 
medical doctior ill tiie pliilippiiies .W.li0 
lias ieceiv.ed tiaiiiiiig iii coii~.uctiiig foreiisic 
sexual assault examinations, to promptly perform such an examination upon request 
aiid to provide 
iiie(&G& sea~iieiit of a ?.iChiii, iiiC~U~iiiY aitiietioviiai 
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medications and other medications that may prevent the transmission of human 
kiiiiiUiGdefiCieiiCY Viius aiid Other SeXLid$ tfaiiiiisiiiitkd diseases; 
d) prepare, provide to the individual, and maintain written documentation of the 
perfoniiEliilce Elid ,fiii6iii@ of such exxliy~iation that is 
by the iii&vi&a: C1id 
ensure that no medical information is released to the vessel or any legal representative 
t, _^..^ 
"C ..ld 
I 11 - -2 
iicicvl WILLLVUL uic piim hiowledge aid appiovtl ini -wiiiiiig of the victiiii, oi', if the 
victim is unable to provide written authorization, the victim's next-of-kin; and 
provide the iiidividual &%e aiid hiinieGate 
to iiifonixtiioii for iocal la-* 
enforcement andor a private telephone line and Internet-accessible computer terminal 
tlie vessel by -wliiCli cie iiiii;lvi&ua: iiiay. coiifl(jeii~ia~~y. 
access hotline sel-riccs, 
QTr- 
V U _ .  9. cri,ze &ycgne p.nnr:rrnr:8r 
.,"GO&*5WfiC . Tzin&tg J"cr .Dcssenge? V C m 2  cmV.%ew&e?$. - 
The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation, shall 
develop a tiaiiiiiig miricul-xn h i  cicimeiiibeij aiid lki eiifkeiiieiit ofEciak af passenger 
vessels to educate them concerning appropriate methods for collecting evidence at a crime scene 
p'opei &deiice preservation, The Adi- IilIIbIraLvI 
'.-:-I 
^A^.. 
uf 
- the M&iiiie Adiiiiiiistmtioii iiiq certifq- 
organizations that offer the cuniculum for training and certification under Section 11 of this Act. 
SEC. 11. Inspection- The Secretary shall conduct an annual inspection of each passenger 
vcmci seekiiig to eiiter a pori iii the Pliil+ppiiies to deteriiiiiie wlietliei the passeiigei vessel lias 
adequate equipment to investigate covered crimes on the vessel and has at least 1 crewmember 
who is ceitiified wider Sectioii IO ofthis Act. 
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SEC. 13. Safety Information. -The owner of a vessel to which this section applies shall: 
ai 
._^._ 
A,. 
.--“A 
iiir;riiiy p s i  iii 
siaterooiii aiid crew cabiii aid iii other piaces specified bji 
the Secretary information regarding: 
1) the iiaiie of each couiitv the vessel wiil visit dsiiig the coui’se of such 
carriage; 
2) the iocatidiis iii such C O U ~ I ~ ~  
of tlie eiihissji aiid cadi ioiisuiate of tiie 
Philippines; 
3) telcpiioiie nw*i+rs for ~ i i e  
t<a~onal 
&&-ezu 
~iivesijg&uil; 
x,i(j 
4) the degree to which the owner is responsible or liable for the safety of 
p”sseiigeis -*~ii~e.t:iey. 
oii s;i&-e exGm-r$is, 
b) include in mandatory crew training the details of this section, its application, and the 
deteiiiiiiiaiioii of the PXippiiieS to pr~tect its ciiizeiis against cfiiiies i.oiiiiiiitkd at 
sea. 
SEC. 14. Penal Clause. - 
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SEC. 15. Proce&res. - Witka 6 x x t k s  after the date ~f enactnxxt af this Act, the 
Secretary shall issue guidelines, training curricula, and inspection and certification procedures 
necessxj to caiiji Gut the recpiiiemeiits ofthis Act, 
SEC. 17. -Application. - This section applies to any passenger vessel that embarks or 
&seix’uiirks passeiigeis iii tile pliiiippkies Oi iliat is vessel ofthe p;ii;FFpiiics, 
SEC. IS. Eetaili~g C e ~ t  
Gxmd Pkrsettd to EEferce Vessel .%@exzexts. 
- The 
Philippine Coast Guard shall dispatch properly trained and qualified Coast Guard Personnel on 
vessels iind pttblic oi ~~iiiiiieici~l 
strxtfies OK oi adjacent to ivateis siibject to Pbikppiiie 
jurisdiction. They shall act as public safety officers for the purposes of 
a) 
ZiSSiSihg VeSd pZ5SeligW.S aiiiid’CiSw, &S il&edeiid, With the iepoitiiig aid iiiV&g&oii 
of potential criminal activities occurring on board vessels; 
bj securiiig, to ihe degree possibk, su%pe&d ciiiiie sceiiiies oii jiidi vessels; and 
c) collecting evidence of alleged crimes against passengers and crew on such vessels. 
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SEC. 19. Study and Report on the SecuriYy Needs of Passenger Vessels. - Within three 
(3) i1loIitlrjl after the &@-of enactilleirt of this Act, tlie Secretary of the Depaitiiient in ~11icl-r 
the 
Coast Guard is operating shall conduct a study of the security needs of a passenger vessel 
dcpidiiig Oil iiiiiiibei Of paSSeiiiigerS Oii the VeSse:, aiid replj"c tO the Coiigess &idiiigS Of iliZ 
study and recoinmendations for improving security on those vessels. In recommending 
aFpicpiiate 
oii tiiose vesSe:S, tiie rcpofi 
Lake 
acco.uiii 
ci-e-wiiieiii~oer 
shifts, working conditions of crewmembers, and length of voyages. 
SEC. 20. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall at any time be found to 
be uiiconsiiiu~oiiai Or kivaEd, tlie ieiiiaiiider ~icieof iiOt affected by Suc:i declxia~oi-, s;ia:l 
remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 21. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent with 
tiie piovisioiis oft;iiS Act a-e :iere&y repe&d 
irlo&;Se: accor&ig]y, 
SEC. 22. EJ?j%ctid@ C k ~ e .  
~ Tks Act shd! take effect &e: Mee:, (15) days f=!!=wing 
its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of genera! circulation. 
Approved, 
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