EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S. B. No
SENATE
742
"l9 
JL". 24 An 51
' j
Introduced by SEN. SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE CLOSED 
CIRCUIT TELEVISION VIDEO (CCTV) AND THE PROCEDURE FOR
ACCESS TO THE IMAGES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The spate of violent crimes to continue to proliferate not only in the 
densely populated Metropolitan Manila area but also occurs even in remote 
rural communities throughout the country. Although the Closed Circuit 
Television Video (CCTV) has been invented in 1942 to observe the launch of 
the German V-2 rockets, it became only widely used by New York City 
policemen in 1968 for crime prevention. Nowadays, the use of CCTV has 
become increasingly real and normal. An Ordinance by the City Council of 
Quezon City has remarkably been passed to oblige owners of commercial 
establishments to install CCTV cameras to aid in crime prevention. Several 
lawmakers 
have 
likewise filed 
similar 
legislations, 
acknowledging 
the 
usefulness of the CCTV and requiring its utilization by local businesses to 
deter crime.


However, its unbridled use despite the benefits it has demonstrated, 
has raised serious and valid concerns on its undue intrusion to privacy. In the 
words of an Information Commissioner, we agree with his observation that 
"while the use o f the CCTV continues to enjoy general public support, it 
necessarily involves intrusion into the lives o f ordinary individuals as they go 
about their day to day business. Research has shown that the public expect it 
to be used responsibly with effective safeguards in place. Maintaining public 
trust and confidence in its use is essential i f  its benefits are to be realized and 
its use is not to be viewed with suspicion as part o f a surveillance society".
Hence, 
this 
proposed 
legislation 
envisioned 
to 
impose 
the 
parameters/provide the guidelines in CCTV installation and access to its 
recordings to help ensure practice standards that are responsible and 
necessary to foster confidence in the use of the system.
In view of the foregoing, the enactment of this bill is earnestly 
recommended.
ALIAN


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
(J’ ffiw ri. 
,'s-vr.up
S. B. No.
SENATE
742
M9 
JL"_ 24 All 51
R£-u.. .K'
Introduced by SEN. SHERWIN T. GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE CLOSED 
CIRCUIT TELEVISION VIDEO (CCTV) AND THE PROCEDURE FOR
ACCESS TO THE IMAGES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the 
Phiiippines in Congress assembied:
1 
SEC. 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "CCTV Act of
2 
2019".
3 
SEC 2. Declaration o f Policy. - It is hereby the deciared policy
4 
of the State to: (a) maintain peace and order, protect life, liberty and
5 
property and to promote general welfare; and (b) value the dignity of
6 
every Filipino and guarantee full respect for human rights.
7 
SEC 3. Objective o f this Act. - It is the objective of this Act to
8 
provide the guidelines for the installation, use and utilization of the
9 
Closed Circuit Television Videos (CCTV) in public, private and residential
10 
establishments with due regard to the privacy and civil rights of every
11 
individual 
by 
maintaining 
peace 
and 
order 
in 
the 
communities,
12 
promoting crime prevention and upholding public safety.
13 
SEC. 4. Definition o f Terms. For the purpose of this Act, the


1 
following terms shall be defined as follows:
2 
a) 
CCTV - Shall refer to the use of video cameras to transmit a
3 
signal to a specific place, on a set of monitors/a television
4 
system that transmits images on a "closed loop" basis, where
5 
images are only available to those directly connected with to
6 
the transmission system;
7 
b) 
Video Surveillance - Shall refer to a closed circuit television
8 
system for direct visual monitoring and/or recording of
9 
activities on the premises or in a specific place;
10 
c) 
Private Installations - shall refer to CCTV Cameras installed in
11 
private establishments such as but not limited to private
12 
subdivisions, 
condominiums 
and 
other residential 
areas,
13 
business hubs, malls and shopping centers;
14 
d) 
Pubic Installations - shall refer to CCTV Cameras installed in
15 
public places such as but not limited to government offices and
16 
instrumentalities, parks, streets and highways including public
17 
markets, airports and public transport terminals;
18 
e) 
Images - Shall refer to recorded images in the CCTV Cameras;
19 
and
20 
0  
Persons in Authority - Shall refer to elements of the Philippine
21 
National Police, Barangay Chairman and the Barangay Tanods.
22 
SEC. 5. Functions o f CTV. 
- The installation of CCTVs in
23 
both 
private 
and 
public 
establishments 
shall 
have 
the 
following
24 
functions:
25 
a) Crime Prevention - the CCTV shall function as a tool of law
26 
enforcement 
and 
crime 
prevention 
by 
way 
of 
effective
27 
monitoring of public places, such as pathways and 
streets,
28 
parks and other areas;
29 
b) Traffic Monitoring - the CCTV shall enable the viewing of a
30 
wider range of data images on motorists, pedestrians and
31 
critical thoroughfares, to provide quicker apprehension of road
32 
safety violators and pinpoint causes of traffic build-up;


1 
c) Surveillance - the CCTV shall function as a surveillance tool
2 
that 
will 
allow 
security 
agencies 
to 
monitor 
private
3 
establishments 
and 
ensure 
the 
safety 
and 
security 
of
4 
individuals and the protection of private properties from theft
5 
and robbery;
6 
d) Household 
Affairs 
- 
the 
CCTV 
shall 
function 
to 
monitor
7 
households by way of monitoring health, security and safety of
8 
household 
members, 
unauthorized 
access 
to 
household
9 
premises and general conduct of household affair;
10 
e) Monitor Employees - the CCTV shall function as a tool to
11 
monitor the general administrative conduct of employees to aid
12 
in the review of employee workmanship and performance; and
13 
f) Documentation - the CCTV shall function as a tool to monitor
14 
the progress or development of data; or the sequences of events
15 
in a facility or institution.
16 
The data to be collected shall be relevant, adequate and not
17 
excessive for the purposes for which they are obtained.
18 
SEC. 6. Guiding Principles - This Act shall have the following guiding
19 
principles:
20 
a) The CCTV shall at all times be operated with respect to people's
21 
privacy and their right to conduct or engage in lawful activities;
22 
b) The owner/operator of the CCTV shall 
be publicly known to
23 
ensure 
appropriate 
accountability 
and 
shall 
be 
appropriately
24 
registered before the Philippine National Police;
25 
c) Signage informing the public of the existence of CCTV cameras
26 
shall be erected. It shall be visible, distinctive and located in
27 
areas with good lighting;
28 
d) The premise for use of CCTV as crime deterrent shall mobilize a
29 
quick and adequate response unit from the persons of authority
30 
such as but not limited to the local ponce force or barangay
31 
watchmen on reported incidents;
32 
e) Persons of Authority shall develop a system for addressing complaints


1 
to receive and investigate complaints about alleged violations of
2 
privacy;
3 
f) A recorded material shall not be released to the media except
4 
only 
to 
acquire 
relevant 
information 
on 
the 
identity 
and
5 
whereabouts of an individual wanted for a criminal offense, and
6 
provide the general public information of critical concern in the
7 
community. 
In 
such cases, the 
recognizable characteristics of
8 
other people in the footage shall be obscured; and
9 
g) Tapes or still photographs shall be disposed of in a manner which does
10 
not allow the reproduction of any of the recorded material.
11 
SEC 7. Prohibited Acts and Recordings. - It shall be unlawful
12 
for any person or establishment to perform the following acts;
13 
a) Install or use the CCTV on someone else's property;
14 
b) Install or use the CCTV cameras in any restroom, toilet, bathroom,
15 
changing mom and other similar areas utilized for private activities;
16 
c) Use CCTV with a device to overhear events, conversations or sounds
17 
without the permission of the people involved shall not be allowed;
18 
d) Install CCTV's in public places without the display of due notice on the
19 
walls or at the entrance of the establishment;
20 
e) Install a CCTV in the external part of one's residential or private
21 
property that encroaches on the private property of another or
22 
of a neighbor;
23 
f) Install 
CCTV 
to 
monitor 
the 
conduct 
or 
performance 
in 
a
24 
workplace without due notice to all employees;
25 
g) Install 
and 
use 
CCTV 
as 
surveillance 
tool 
of 
particular
26 
individuals on behalf of 3rd parties or paying clients covered by
27 
a contract of engagement more than the duration specified by
28 
the Philippine National Police;
29 
h) Install and use CCTV inside a residence to manage one's family
30 
without notice given to the staff and members of the household;
31 
i) To sell or publish any recorded material or still photographs for
32 
commercial purposes; and


1 
j) To upload any image, recording or stills from the CCTV on the
2 
Internet for entertainment purposes.
3 
SEC. 8. Procedure fo r Access and Disclosure o f Recordings. -
4 
Only authorized persons shall have access to images and recordings from
5 
CCTV's, Viewing of the images and recordings shall take place in a restricted
6 
area or in private conditions. All access allowed or granted under the
7 
circumstances 
must 
be 
documented 
and 
for 
limited 
or 
prescribed
8 
circumstances The use, viewing, copying or disclosure of images and
9 
recordings performed in accordance with this Act shall only be allowed in the
10 
following instances only:
11 
a) Upon a written request from a person in authority in connection
12 
with and limited to an investigation for the prosecution of an
13 
offense punishable by law;
14 
b) Upon lawful order of the court, in connection with a pending
15 
criminal or civil proceeding;
16 
c) To determine whether an offense has been committed against a
17 
person 
or 
property 
and 
to 
ascertain 
the 
identity 
of 
the
18 
perpetrator and the manner by which the crime was committed;
19 
d) Any person whose image has been recorded may make an
20 
application in writing for a copy of the recording or its still
21 
images;
22 
e) Upon compliance with the Rules of Procedure set by security
23 
agencies operating under the management of clients.
24 
f) Law 
Enforcement Agencies 
shall 
not 
be 
allowed 
to 
release
25 
images or recordings from the CCTV to the media, except only
26 
when the circumstances warrant to help identify the perpetrator
27 
of a crime or locate his whereabouts, or as a matter of public
28 
information.
29 
The use, copying or disclosure of images and recordings shall be
30 
authorized within twenty-four (24) hours after submission of the request, as
31 
herein specified.
32 
SEC. 9. Retention, Storage and Preservation. -  Unless otherwise


1 
reserved for a 
specific 
purpose to 
review the events of a crime
2 
or that the information needs to be studied further for any number of
3 
reasons, data of recordings shall not be kept for more than 30 days and
4 
should be automatically overwritten or deleted beyond said period.
5 
SEC. 
10. 
Penalties. 
- Any act or omission 
by the 
owner
6 
and/or operator of the CCTV in violation of the provisions of this Act
7 
shall be punishable with an imprisonment of not less than six (6) months
8 
but not exceeding six (6) years, or a fine not less than Ten Thousand
9 
Pesos (Phpl0,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos
10 
(Phpl00,000,00) or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of
11 
the court.
12 
SEC. 
11. 
Im plem enting 
Rules 
and 
Regulations. 
- 
The
13 
Director General of Philippine National Police in close coordination with
14 
the 
Secretary 
Department 
of 
Interior 
and 
Local 
Government, 
the
15 
Secretary of National 
Defense, 
the Secretary of Transportation 
and
16 
Communications, the Secretary of Justice, the National Securit/ Adviser,
17 
and the Director of National Bureau of Investigation shall issue the
18 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this
19 
Act.
20 
SEC. 
12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees,
21 
executive orders, rules and regulations or part thereof, contrary to or
22 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed or
23 
modified accordingly.
24 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any section or provision of
25 
this 
Act 
is 
held 
unconstitutional 
or 
invalid, 
all 
other 
sections 
or
26 
provisions shall remain in full force and effect
27 
SEC. 
14. 
Effectivity 
Clause 
- 
This 
Act 
shall 
take 
effect
28 
fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Cazefte and/or in at least
29 
two (2) newspapers of general publication.
Approved,