Senator and vice presidential aspirant Francis Pangilinan is proposing a review of the country's Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, after the lawmaker and other opposition members became subjects of online delivery scams.
In his Proposed Senate Resolution 953, Pangilinan said that the country's cybercrime law does not completely reflect the realities today, especially amid the emergence of social media platforms and food delivery applications.
"The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was passed when social media platforms and other applications were still smaller than what the giants they are today. Some platforms and applications, such as TikTok, Grab Food, and Lalamove, were not even invented in 2012," read the resolution, which was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.
According to the proposal, there is a "need to review the country's existing criminal laws" as technology and social media become more integrated into people's lives.
The proposal came after Pangilinan and other opposition members, including Vice President Leni Robredo, became the subject of online food delivery scams.
Pangilinan and Robredo, who are also running mates in the 2022 national elections, have condemned the incidents and urged the people behind them to think about the inconveniences such acts cause delivery riders.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros and the Commission on Human Rights also reported similar incidents.
