The National Privacy Commission (NPC) warned the public on Tuesday, Oct. 10, against sharing the leaked data from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) after receiving reports of unauthorized distribution of such.

“We want to emphasize the gravity of this situation and the severe consequences that await anyone involved in processing, downloading, or sharing this data without legitimate purpose or without authorization,” the NPC said, citing the Data Privacy Act of 2012 as repercussion for those who opt to violate the law.

Under Section 25 of the Data Privacy Act, those who are found guilty of illegal processing of personal information stand to face penalties, including one to three years of imprisonment and a P500,000 to P2 million imposition of fines.

“Unauthorized processing of personal sensitive personal information carries even more substantial penalties: imprisonment for three to six years and a fine ranging from Php500,000 to Php4,000,000,” it said.

NPC clarified that by distributing personal data, individuals become susceptible to identity theft, fraud, extortion, blackmail, and other malicious activities.

“We urge you, as responsible citizens, to refrain from resharing this data and to promptly report its presence to the relevant authorities, including the NPC and law enforcement agencies,” the data privacy body said.