Senator Pia S. Cayetano (Photo from Senate Public Relations and Intelligence Agency)
MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Pia Caetano has introduced a bill that sought to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence and promote its ethical and responsible innovation.
“As the Philippines continues its journey of digital transformation, there is an urgent need for a national framework to ensure the safe, responsible and ethical use of AI, aligns with its vision of a comprehensive, innovative and safe digital future.”
The measure also seeks to integrate sustainability and future thinking, among other things, in national policy decisions.
“AI holds vast economic and social potential, but it must come with a robust regulatory legal framework,” she emphasized.
She said that AI presents great opportunities for the Philippines, particularly improving public services, increasing disaster resilience, modernizing agriculture, and strengthening education and healthcare systems.
But these innovations come with risks, she added.
“AI systems rely on incomplete, biased or manipulated data and models, reflecting the subjective or commercial choices of developers. These raise concerns such as algorithm bias, identification, and AI hallucinations that allow the system to confidently generate false introductory output,” the senator said.
Additionally, according to Caetano, the global scientific and policy community has raised alarms about the possibility of an increase in artificial emergency matters (ASIs), resulting in hypothetical AI systems that outweigh human intelligence and potentially beyond human control.
This risk includes the fear that such systems, if improperly protected or regulated, could gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure, such as military assets such as nuclear weapons, and existential threats to humanity.
Given these challenges, Caetano's bill aims to strike a careful balance between promoting innovation and that AI systems are still guaranteed under safe, ethical, transparent and meaningful human surveillance.
“Given that AI is still in its early stages, the bill provides a general framework for promoting development in a responsible and legitimate way. It envisions a future in which AI supports the ingenuity of the Philippines, addressing the challenges of national development and protecting the rights and welfare of all citizens,” she said.
“The nation is responsible for supporting the ingenuity and technological advancements in the Philippines, while ensuring that AI will never be used to cause crime, abuse rights, abuse rights, harm, or unintended consequences, whether intentional or through accident,” she pointed out.
“With the aforementioned considerations, approval of this bill is seriously required,” she concluded.
Penalties provided on this scale include the development and deployment of unregistered AI systems. They could face revocation of their business permits or licenses, and they could possibly be blacklisted by government procurement and AI development grants.
They may also face a fine of P500,000 to P5,000,000 to P5,000,000, or at least six months to three years, or both.
Anyone who intentionally uses AI systems to commit fraud, promote or conceal crime, or harms life, liberty, property, or national security will be fined to P2,000,000 to P10,000,000, or six to 12 years in prison, or both.
If the crime results in death, physical injury, or major financial or reputational damage, the penalty shall be imposed over the maximum period.
Anyone who uses AI to create or disseminate disinformation, manipulate mass opinions (via bots, deepfakes), or monitors without legal authority will be punished with a fine of P1,000,000 to P5,000,000, or a sentence of three to ten years, or both.
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Additional penalties apply if such conduct occurs during election periods when a general emergency or in violation of constitutional rights. /apl
