(PNA photo by Robert Oswald Alfiler)
MANILA – A Senate bill seeks to penalize by as much as PHP1 million any emergency service provider that fails to respond within two hours.
Senate Bill No. 1882, or the Critical Infrastructure Emergency Response Act, defines "emergency service request" as all requests for critical infrastructure services that pose a danger to life, limb, or property, or those that require immediate attention.
“The purpose of this bill is to ensure that critical infrastructure services in the Philippines are able to respond promptly and effectively to emergencies, thereby enhancing public safety, protecting national security, and promoting economic stability,” bill author Senator Raffy Tulfo said in his explanatory note.
Critical infrastructures include facilities, networks, and systems that support key services such as power generation and distribution, water supply, transportation, communications, healthcare, and financial services.
Any provider of critical infrastructure services that fails to comply with the immediate response requirement shall be penalized with a fine of not less than PHP100,000 but not more than PHP1 million.
“The State recognizes the importance of ensuring the stability and reliability of critical infrastructure to support economic growth and improve the quality of life of the people,” the bill states. (Leonel Abasola/PNA)
