Site Blocking Bill Urged for Inclusion in Legislative Priorities

MANILA, Philippines — As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), a consumer advocacy group has urged his administration to include the Site Blocking Bill in its legislative priorities to ensure a safe and secure digital economy for the country. CitizenWatch PH co-convenor and former lawmaker Atty. Kit Belmonte said that the government’s demonstration of site blocking through the Shared Blocking Management Database has been successful. He explained that the database serves as a portal enabling regulators to work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in prohibiting illegal online activities. With this, Belmonte stated that the institutionalization of site blocking will empower the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to swiftly crack down on pirated and illegal websites. “What is needed now is to complete the legal framework by extending the same capability to intellectual property enforcement. The Site Blocking Bill will empower the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to act more swiftly against piracy websites that continue to exploit creators, investors and consumers,” Belmonte said in a press release on Wednesday. While Belmonte acknowledged IPOPHL’s progress in strengthening intellectual property enforcement, he emphasized that its site-blocking capability still requires explicit statutory authority. He further stressed that the proposed bill aligns with Marcos’ administration agenda to innovate and strengthen the digital economy and transformation. “The administration has consistently championed digital transformation, ease of doing business, and a more competitive economy. Supporting the passage of the Site Blocking Bill would be a logical extension of that vision. It will strengthen online consumer protection, encourage innovation, protect our creative industries and reinforce the rule of law in the digital space,” he added. He also noted that the bill’s passage would instill confidence in investors, inventors, software developers, researchers, and creative professionals that their ideas will be protected by law.