Prank calls and false emergency reports may soon carry penalties in Mandaue City as the City Council moves to protect the integrity of its emergency response system.
The Mandaue City Council has approved on first reading a proposed ordinance that would prohibit prank calls, malicious communications, and false emergency reports made through the city’s official emergency hotlines and command center.
Councilor Jennifer Del Mar, who authored the proposed measure, said bogus reports waste valuable time and resources that should instead be directed to real emergencies.
“Naay uban naay manawag magpa respond niya wala diay to,” Del Mar said.
She said emergency personnel are often dispatched based on false information, only to discover that the reported incident did not occur.
“We take that very seriously diri sa Mandaue City,” she said.
Under the proposed ordinance, violators would immediately face a P5,000 fine once found responsible for making prank calls or submitting false emergency reports. Del Mar said the measure does not provide for warning stages before penalties are imposed.
“Inig adto kung di tinuod iyang report perhaps we will investigate and penalize,” she said.
Del Mar noted that the city has recorded numerous cases of prank calls and false alarms, adding that such incidents divert responders from legitimate emergencies that require immediate attention.
“We want to make sure that they know that we are serious on this matter when it comes to response,” she said.
The proposed measure, titled the “Mandaue City Anti-Prank Emergency Communications Ordinance,” seeks to safeguard the efficiency and reliability of the city’s emergency communication system.
It defines prank calls as communications made to emergency hotlines that contain false, fabricated, misleading, or fictitious information, or are intended to disrupt emergency operations.
It also covers malicious communications involving abusive, threatening, or harassing language toward emergency personnel, as well as knowingly filing false reports involving crimes, fires, accidents, disasters, or medical emergencies.
In addition to the P5,000 penalty, violators may be required to attend a disaster risk reduction and management awareness seminar conducted by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The ordinance also provides that cases involving minors will be handled in accordance with existing laws, including Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, with corresponding accountability for parents or guardians when applicable.
Once enacted, the ordinance will be enforced by the Mandaue City Command Center in coordination with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies.
It also authorizes coordination with telecommunications providers, subject to data privacy laws and due process requirements.
Photo courtesy of Philippine Star
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