SENATE, Pasay City — Following the arrest of several Chinese nationals involved in incidents indicating possible espionage activities in the country, Senator Francis 'Tol' Tolentino filed a proposed measure that aims to penalize foreign interference in the Philippines.

According to the senator, he authored Senate Bill 2951 in order to update the now obsolete legal framework that regulates the conduct of foreign agents in the Philippines, which dates back to 1979.

“The increasing concern of the government regarding potential foreign interference in the Philippines’ political and governmental affairs has prompted a deeper examination of the tactics and objectives employed by some wicked state actors," Tolentino pointed out.

He added that based on analysis, the said actors have been infiltrating key areas of the bureaucracy, media and critical infrastructures, thereby threatening the nation’s national security, political stability, and sovereignty. ,

“Overall, the proposed legislation underscores that even the planning of foreign interference can incur penalties, thereby reinforcing the government’s commitment to protecting democratic processes from external influence,” he enthused.

To clarify, Tolentino explained that SB 2951 aims to penalize “the various methods through which foreign agents and entities may interfere in the Philippine political and governmental processes.”

The bill, he spelled out, has an expanded scope that covers harmful electronic communications, while requiring internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to electronic communications “prejudicial to national security and public safety.”

Besides this, under the proposed measure, a Counter Foreign Interference Council (CFIC) shall be created chaired by the the President’s executive secretary and composed of the national security adviser as vice chairperson and the secretaries of justice, foreign affairs, interior and local government, national defense, information and communications technology and anti-money laundering council secretariat.