Group calls for swift approval of site blocking bills

MANILA, Philippines — Senate should act with urgency on site blocking bills that seek to clamp down on online piracy and cybercrime, according to a local consumer advocacy group.

“The creative industry workers are  being deprived of just returns for their hard work and unsuspecting online users are falling victim to fraud and identity theft because of online piracy and cybercrime,” said Patrick Climaco, convenor of Konsyumer at Mamamayan (KM). 

“The bills have languished in the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship even after their obvious advantages have been laid out by all the industry stakeholders being victimized by intellectual property violations,” Climaco said.

Two senators, both former movie actors supporting the clamor of the Philippine entertainment industry, have filed these measures.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada filed Senate Bill 2150 to restrict access to websites promoting copyright violations, proposing fines of up to P1 million for such infractions.

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., on the other hand, filed Senate Bill 2385 expanding the authority and responsibilities of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), particularly in initiating site-blocking measures.

The House of Representatives has already passed House Bill 7600 authored by Rep. Joey Salceda in July 2023, which proposes updates to the 26-year-old Intellectual Property Code, including provisions for website blocking. The bill aims to address legal gaps that enable online piracy and strengthen regulators’ enforcement authority.

For its part, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has made progress through voluntary administrative site blocking, targeting notorious sites like YTS, Sflix, and MyFlixer.

However, without stronger legal authority, these efforts remain limited. Site blocking would empower authorities to swiftly cut off access to illegal sites, especially during critical periods when new content is most vulnerable.