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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF TI-IE REPUBLIC 
) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
·11 
MAY -4 P 2 :20 
SENATE 
S.No. 2799 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Sautiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 15, Section 4 provides: "The family has the duty to care for its 
elderly members but the State may also do so through just programs of social security." 
Each year, millions of individuals in the United States fall victims to financial 
exploitation, including mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud. Many of those who fall prey to 
such exploitation are seniors. 
It is reportedly difficult to estimate the prevalence of fraud that targets senior citizens 
because cases are severely underreported and national statistics on senior citizens fraud do not 
exist. 
According to a 2009 report by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, the annual finaucial 
loss by victims of senior finaucial abuse in the United States is estimated to be at least $2.6 
billion. 
Perpetrators of mail, telemarketing, aud Internet fraud frequently target senior citizens 
because they are often vulnerable aud trusting people. 
As victims of such fraudulent schemes, many senior citizens reportedly pay a financial 
cost, having been robbed of their hard-earned life savings, and frequently pay an emotional cost, 
losing their self-respect and dignity. 
A 2003 repolt by the Americau Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found that, 
though the crime of telemarketing fraud is grossly underreported among senior citizens who have 
been victims of such fraud, senior citizens who are properly counseled by trained peer volunteers 
are less likely to fall victim to fraudulent practices. 
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Thus, consumer awareness is the best protection from fraud. l Therefore, ihis bill seeks to 
prevent mail, telemarketing, and internet fraud targeting senior citizens and to educate the public, 
senior citizens, their families, and their caregivers about how to identify and combat fraudulent 
activity. 
1 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtcxt.xpd?bill~s 112-465. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN~ 
S.No. 
~'7~9 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
'11 
MAY -4 P 2 :20 
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AN ACT 
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TO PREVENT MAIL, TELEMARKETING, AND INTERNET FRAUD TARGETING 
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SENIOR CITIZENS AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, SENIOR CITIZENS, 
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THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR CAREGIVERS ABOUT HOW TO IDENTIFY AND 
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COMBAT FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Senior Financial 
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Empowerment Act." 
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SECTION 2. Centralized Service for Consumer Education on Mail, Telemarketing, and 
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Internet Fraud Targeting Senior Citizens. -
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(A) 
Requirement. - The Secretary of Trade and Industry, after consultation with the 
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Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of Health, and the Postmaster General, shall: 
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(1) 
periodically disseminate to senior citizens and the families and caregivers of 
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senior citizens, general information on mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud 
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targeting seniors, including descriptions of the most common fraud schemes; 
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(2) 
periodically disseminate to senior citizens, and families and caregivers of seniors, 
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information on methods available to report fraud targeting seniors, such as: 
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(i) 
referring complaints to law enforcement agencies, including the Philippine 
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National Police and the National Bureau ofInvestigation; and 
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(ii) 
calling a telephone number established by the Department of Trade and 
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Industry (DTI) for reporting mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud; 
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(3) 
in response to a specific request by a patiy to the DTI inquiring about any history 
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of fraud committed by a particular entity or individual, provide to such party any 
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publically available information on any record of law enforcement action for 
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(4) 
(B) 
fraud against such entity or individual by the DTI, and by any other agency that 
reports such actions to the DTI; and 
maintain a Website to serve as a resource for information for senior citizens, and 
families and caregivers of senior citizens, regarding mail, telemarketing, and 
Internet fraud targeting senior citizens. 
Procedures and Commencement. - The Secretary of Trade and Industry shall 
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establish and implement procedures to carry out the requirements of paragraph (A), including 
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procedures: 
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(1) 
(2) 
with respect to the frequency and mode of dissemination of information; and 
that provide for the implementation of the requirements of such paragraph not 
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later than one year after the date of the effectivity of this Act. 
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SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
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unconstitutional, any other provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
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SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or 
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parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
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in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/fldp 
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