MANILA, Philippines – Naghain ng isang panukalang batas sa Senado na naglalayong higpitan at pabigatin ang parusang ipapataw sa sinumang indibiduwal na nagbibiro sa bomba o bomb joke kabilang ang pagkakalat ng maling impormasyon hinggil dito.
Base sa inihaing Senate Bill No. 2768 nitong Martes, August 6, 2024, papatawan ng mas mabigat na parusa ang sinumang magbibiro sa bomba sa lahat ng high density areas or sensitive areas tulad ng airport, seaport, asembliya na nagdulot ng kaguluhan o pagkamatay ng tao.
Sa kanyang explanatory note, sinabi ni Senador Raffy Tulfo, chairman ng Senate committee on public services na hindi na updated ang Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1727 o Bomb Joke Law na isinabatas noong 1980.
“Sa ilalim ng PD 1727, ang mga taong nasampahan ng kasong may kinalaman sa bomb threat sa civilian courts ay nadi-dismiss lang dahil ang may jurisdiction dito ay ang military tribunal (Under PD 1727, those charged with cases involving bomb threats in civilian courts were dismissed because military tribunal has jurisdiction into it),” aniya.
Nakapagtala ang Philippine National Police (PNP) na may kabuuang anim na fake bomb threats sa train stations habang 11 kaso ng bomb jokes sa airports sa pagitan ng 2023 at 2024.
Itinakda ng SB 2768 ang maximum penalties na PHP5,000,000, at hindi lalampas sa anim na taong pagkakakulong o pareho, kung ang paglabag dito ay nangyari sa high-density areas or sensitive areas.”
Nakatakda din sa Sec. 5. Penalties. – (a) Any person who violates this Act shall be subject to imprisonment of not more than two (2) years or a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court having 6jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized;
Mababasa naman sa paragraph (b) “If the violation of this Act is directed at high density areas or sensitive areas and causes the evacuation of a dwelling, building, place of assembly, facility, including public transportation, aircraft, ship, and other common carriers, or the stoppage, cancellation or disruption of any kind of service to the public, or results to death or deaths in relation to the chaos created herein, or losses in productivity and resources, the penalty shall be Imprisonment of not more than six (6) years or a fine not exceeding Five million pesos (P5, 000,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized.
“The foregoing penalties shall be imposed without prejudice to other liabilities under the Revised Penal Code or any special law, arising out of, or on occasion of the herein prohibited act,” ayon sa panukala. Ernie Reyes
