1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
2nd Regular Session 
House Bill No. 10600
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES ERWIN T. TULFO, RALPH WENDEL P. 
TULFO, EDVIC G. YAP AND ERIC GO YAP  
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS OF 
SENIOR CITIZENS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs), DEFINING 
FOR 
THE 
PURPOSE 
THE 
CRIME 
OF 
INTERNET 
AND 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PHISHING AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES 
AGAINST SENIOR CITIZENS AND PWDs AND PROVIDING PENALTIES 
THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution declares one of its state policies the promotion of dignity of 
every human person including full respect of his/her human rights. The country’s 
senior citizens and persons with disabilities remain (PWDs) to be the most vulnerable 
and disadvantaged in several facets of society notwithstanding the initiatives being 
taken by the state to provide them adequate and comprehensive support programs.  
Republic Act No. 10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, 
provides a framework for combatting various forms of cybercrime, including online 
fraud. However, despite existing legal measures, there remains a significant gap in the 
prevention of cybercrime specifically aimed at PWDs who are particularly vulnerable 
to cyber threats due to their financial, physical, or mental circumstances. Senior 
citizens, often unfamiliar with the rapidly evolving digital landscape, are also prime 
targets for cybercriminals who exploit their limited technical knowledge. 
This bill aims to provide protection for senior citizens and PWDs by clearly defining 
and penalizing internet and telecommunications fraud against seniors and PWDs. By 
imposing stringent penalties, the bill seeks to deter potential offenders and underscore 
the seriousness of these crimes. The implementation of this bill would not only 
safeguard the financial assets of senior citizens and PWDs but also restore their 
confidence in using digital platforms for communication and transactions. 
July 15, 2024
1:28 pm


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In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
  ERWIN T. TULFO 
RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO 
HON. EDVIC G. YAP 
HON. ERIC GO YAP 


1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
2nd Regular Session 
House Bill No. 10600 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES ERWIN T. TULFO, RALPH WENDEL P. 
TULFO, EDVIC G. YAP AND ERIC GO YAP  
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS OF 
SENIOR CITIZENS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs), DEFINING 
FOR 
THE 
PURPOSE 
THE 
CRIME 
OF 
INTERNET 
AND 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PHISHING AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES 
AGAINST SENIOR CITIZENS AND PWDs AND PROVIDING PENALTIES 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1.  Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Senior Citizens and 
PWDs Protection Against Scams Act”. 
SEC. 2.  Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
protect the rights and welfare of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. 
Recognizing that senior citizens and PWDs are often vulnerable to various forms of 
fraud and financial exploitation, the State shall prevent and penalize such acts to 
empower senior citizens and PWDs and protect their financial assets and personal 
information. 
SEC. 3.  Definition of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act, the following terms 
shall be defined as follows: 
(a) Senior Citizen – refers to any resident citizen of the Philippines who is at least
sixty (60) years old;
(b) Persons with Disability (PWDs) – refers to any person who is suffering from
restriction of different abilities as a result of a mental, physical, or sensory
impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the range
considered normal for a human being, as defined in existing laws and
regulations.


 
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(c) Phishing - refers to the act of fraudulently obtaining sensitive information such 
as but not limited to personal information, passwords or personal identification 
numbers, or financial details, by disguising oneself as a legitimate entity in an 
electronic communication or transaction for fraudulent purposes such as but 
not limited to fraudulent business practices, financial fraud, identity theft or 
false misrepresentations. 
 
(d) Internet Fraud - refers to the use of internet services, e-commerce platforms, 
social media sites, or any other software, application, or website, whether 
legitimate or not, through internet access to deceive, fraud, or mislead another 
individual or entity; and, 
 
(e) Telecommunications Fraud - refers to the use of telecommunications services 
to deceive, defraud, or mislead another individual or entity. 
 
SEC. 4.  Prohibited Acts. – Any person found guilty of committing the act of 
phishing, internet fraud, or telecommunications fraud where the offended party is a 
senior citizen or PWD at the time of the commission shall be punished by 
imprisonment of three (3) years and one (1) day to six (6) years, and a fine of at least 
Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP500,000.00), as determined by the regular courts, 
or the amount equivalent to the total damage incurred to the offended party, 
whichever is higher. 
 
SEC. 5.  Liability of Corporations. – If the offender is a corporation, partnership, 
association, or any other juridical entity, the penalty shall be imposed upon the 
responsible officers, directors, or employees who participated in or allowed the 
commission of the prohibited acts under the preceding Section. 
 
SEC. 6. Education on Internet and Telecommunications Fraud. – The Department 
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall, through the local government 
units, after consultation and in coordination with the different government agencies, 
educate the senior citizens, PWDs, and their families and caregivers on the following: 
  
(a) General information on various contemporary forms of phone, text, and 
internet scams and fraudulent practices, especially those targeting senior 
citizens and PWDs, including descriptions of common fraud schemes; and, 
 
(b) Information on how and where to report scams and fraud, and how to prevent 
the same. 
 
SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the 
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the 
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), shall promulgate the necessary 
rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 


 
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SEC. 8.  Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall at any time be 
found to be unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder thereof not affected by such 
declaration shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 9.  Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, rules or regulations inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 10.  Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
following its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
 
 
Approved,