Prevention of ISP equipment pilferage mulled

July 16, 2017 Opinion Sideglance

City Councilor Leandro Yangot Jr. is proposing a legislative measure that seeks to prevent the theft of Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the City of Baguio.

Dubbed as the “Anti-Cable Internet Service Provider (ISP) Signal and Equipment Pilferage Ordinance in the City of Baguio”, the proposed measure identifies and declares several prohibited acts as well as fines and imprisonment for its violation.

Under the said proposed ordinance particularly Section 4 thereof it provides that, “Pilferage of Cable Internet and Cable ISP signal and equipment as stated in the this Ordinance shall include the following intentional acts: (1) Unauthorized tapping of the Main Trunk, Distribution, and/or Digital Subscriber Lines in Cable Internet resulting to the interruption in the delivery of the cable signal within the system, (2) Unauthorized physical damaging/tampering of any Main Trunk, Distribution, and/or Drop Lines in Cable Internet and of the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and Modem in Cable Internet by an individual or individuals causing cable signal leakages and/or degradation within the system, (3) Illegal splitting into the system within the neighbourhood, and (4) Any other act resulting to prejudice, damage or disturbance e to the Cable Internet and Cable ISP equipment as defined”.

For such wilful violations of those prohibited acts enumerated in the said proposed measure any individual or corporation shall be punished for the first offense with a fine not exceeding P1,000 and/or suffer an imprisonment of not more than one (1) month at the discretion of the court, for the second offense a violator shall pay a fine not exceeding P 3,000.00 and/or suffer an imprisonment of not more than three (3) months at the discretion of the court, and for the third and succeeding offenses a violator shall pay a fine not exceeding P5,000 and/ or suffer imprisonment of not more than six (6) months or both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. In the case where the violator is a corporation then the officers of such corporation shall be held liable.

Councilor Yangot came up with the said proposal pointing out that Internet Service Providers are organizations primarily engage in providing service accessing and using the Internet and the pilferage of their equipment, which has become a prevailing tendency or inclination, is unquestionably prejudicial, damaging and a threat to their enterprise which augments the healthy economy of the city.

He further explained in his proposal that under Section 20 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution it provides that the State recognizes the indispensable role of the private section in the national economy and encourages the proliferation of private enterprises and provides incentives to needed investments. The proposed ordinance also cited that based on the internet the Philippines ranks in the lower half of the Asian countries included in the index, and 43rd out of 75 overall in the ranking.