MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) voiced strong support for the House of Representatives following its third and final reading approval of House Bill No. 9642, or the proposed New Espionage Act, on September 17.
DND Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong emphasized that the measure is essential to plugging critical vulnerabilities in outdated espionage laws enacted long before the advent of modern digital tools and intelligence capabilities.
“The Department of National Defense welcomes the House of Representatives’ approval of the proposed New Espionage Act, which is a critical and long-overdue modernization of antiquated laws,” Andolong said.
“For decades, our legal framework has been dangerously ill-equipped to handle modern, asymmetric security threats,” he added.
Under HB 9642, the definition of espionage is expanded past classic unauthorized intelligence gathering. The bill penalizes the unlawful access, handling, or distribution of classified state secrets, as well as unauthorized entry, tampering, or destruction targeting national defense facilities and key infrastructure.
It also explicitly targets illegal surveillance carried out through modern equipment like drones, hidden cameras, wiretapping devices, and tracking systems.
“In an era where hostile actors deploy sophisticated cognitive domain operations and covertly target our critical infrastructure, this legislation provides the State with the indispensable legal tools required to disrupt malicious actors and protect our national secrets,” Andolong said.
The proposed legislation introduces harsher consequences for offenders. Prohibited acts—including espionage, conspiracy, and knowingly submitting fraudulent documents for security clearances—would carry life imprisonment alongside fines ranging from ₱10 million to ₱20 million.
The bill targets structural overhauls to the nation’s primary legal defenses against treasonous activity, updating provisions in the Revised Penal Code and Commonwealth Act No. 616 that have remained largely unchanged since 1932 and 1941.
Should HB 9642 pass the remaining legislative hurdles and get enacted, the DND, Department of Justice (DOJ), and National Security Council (NSC) are mandated to draft the implementing rules and regulations within 120 days.
“The defense establishment looks forward to this bill’s enactment,” Andolong said.