House OKs landmark anti-invasion of privacy bill

MANILA, Philippines - A bill seeking to penalize invasion of privacy for profit or commercial purposes has been approved on second reading at the House of Representatives.

House Bill 4807, the proposed “Protection Against Personal Intrusion Act,” was authored by Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and Maximo Rodriguez of Abante Mindanao.

The Cagayan de Oro City lawmaker told The STAR the bill is not aimed at paparazzis or photographers who follow celebrities as they go about their lives, and then sell the  photographs to various publications and websites.

“There are so many forms of invading one’s privacy or intruding into one’s personal life. Some do that to blackmail people,” he said.

The country still has no specific law on privacy despite the constitutional guarantee to the right to privacy, he said.

He said the privacy of individuals and their families has been violated by people who trespass through intrusive modern visual or auditory enhancement devices, such as powerful telephoto lenses and hyperbolic microphones.

“Such harassment and trespassing threaten public and private persons and their families whom personal circumstances beyond their control create media interest,” he said.

He said the bill seeks to promote and protect the privacy of every person by preventing intrusion for commercial purposes, and enjoining everyone to respect the dignity, personality, privacy and peace of mind of every person.

It would be unlawful to capture, or to trespass on private property to capture, any type of visual image, sound recording or other physical impression of any individual, personal or family activity for commercial purposes and even if no physical trespass has occurred.

It would also allow the person whose visual image or auditory impression has been captured to file a civil action to obtain any appropriate relief, including compensatory damages, punitive damages and injunctive and declaratory relief.

Co-authors are Representatives Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Linabelle Ruth Villarica of Bulacan, Jose Atienza  Jr. of Buhay and Leopoldo Bataoil of Pangasinan.