By Tom S. Noda
Computerworld Philippines
January 20, 2010

Time maybe running out for the creation of the Department of ICT (DICT) in the Senate, but hopeful members of the Commission on ICT (CICT) had a sigh of relief on Tuesday with the passage of the Cybercrime bill in Congress.

The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading on Tuesday House Bill (HB) 6794, popularly known as Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2009. It seeks to address crimes committed via the Internet such as child pornography, illegal hacking of Web sites, phishing, data fraud, and the like by imposing corresponding penalties.

Once a law, the Cybercrime Act is expected to deter rising incidents of illegal, malicious and life-threatening acts committed through the Internet.

The bill mandates for the creation of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center under the Office of the President.

“We very much welcome the approval of the Cybercrime Bill by the House of Representatives and we are very grateful to the congressmen who recognized the importance of this measure,” said Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua, chairman of CICT.

He said it is now up to the Senate to finally make the Cybercrime bill a law.

Chua, who has been attending the Senate sessions since Monday, has called on the public, particularly through his Facebook account to rally behind the approval of the ICT bills, namely the Cybercrime bill and Bill 2546 which mandates the creation of DICT.

“If you believe either of these bills will be good for the ICT industry and the country, please join us in the Senate,” Chua posted on his Facebook status on Monday.

Prominent people from public and private sectors, the academe, IT industry, and even the media have been sending their last hurrahs for DICT’s creation through Chua’s FB site. This, as the CICT chief would regularly post in his FB status that he “is headed to the Senate again to push for the DICT and Cybercrime Bills. Will today be the day?”

And like the many people who were annoyed by the Senate’s lack of quorum last Tuesday, the CICT chairman expressed disappointment as he feared that if the ICT bills don’t pass in the Senate, lawmakers would have to start from scratch in the next administration.

The Senate’s regular session resumed on Jan. 18 and it is scheduled to adjourn on Feb. 5 which is the official start of the campaign period for national candidates.

Clamored for almost eight years now, DICT’s creation would result in the take over of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology, the National Computer Center, Telecommunications Office and the Communications Planning Service division. It will also take over the communications-related functions of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

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