The Philippine National Police (PNP) has expressed full support for a proposed measure seeking harsher penalties for individuals behind hoax bomb threats. Senator Jinggoy Estrada filed Senate Bill No. 1727 to amend Presidential Decree No. 1076, which currently penalizes false bomb threats. Estrada said the law needs to be updated to address the growing number of hoax threats made through digital channels. The bill also expands the scope of penalties to cover threats transmitted via social media, messaging apps, and other online platforms. “The Philippine National Police supports this proposed measure as this will add more teeth in running after those engaging in bomb threats, including through online platforms,” said PNP Chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. He said the PNP may form a technical working group to provide recommendations and technical input to strengthen the measure. The PNP earlier announced tighter coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), telecommunications firms, and social media administrators to counter the spread of bomb threat hoaxes. The initiative follows recent incidents, including a false bomb threat at Davao Wisdom Academy on October 22, and similar cases reported at Bicol University and Batangas University.
