I. PURPOSE

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) prescribes the guidelines on the purchase, installation, and use of Cell Phone Signal Jamming devices in Jails.

II. REFERENCES

1.     Republic Act No. 4200, “An Act To Prohibit And Penalize Wire Tapping And Other Related Violations of the Privacy Of Communication, and for Other Purposes”;

2.     Republic Act No. 9372, “An Act to Secure the State and Protect Our People from Terrorism”;

3.     Republic Act No. 7925, “An Act Providing For The Recognition  and Use Of Electronic Commercial and Non-Commercial Transactions And Documents, Penalties For Unlawful Use Thereof, and for Other Purposes”;

4.     Republic Act No. 8792, “An Act Providing For The Recognition  And Use Of Electronic Commercial And Non-Commercial Transactions And Documents, Penalties For Unlawful Use Thereof, And For Other Purposes”;

5.     Act No. 3846, “An Act Providing  For The Regulation  Of Public And Radio Communications In The Philippines And For The Other Purposes”;

6.     National  Telecommunications  Commission  Memorandum  Order No. 01-02- 2013;

7.     BJMP Comprehensive Operations Manual Revised 2015; and

8.     House Bill No. 258.

III.   DEFINITION OF TERMS

(a)  Cell phone jamming devices – radio instruments used to prevent cellular or mobile phones from receiving signals from or transmitting signals to base stations.

(b) Customer Premises Equipment - equipment located in the premises of a customer or subscriber, for connection to public telecommunications  network facilities.

IV.  RATIONALE/BACKGROUND

Cell phones are considered nuisance contrabands or those contrabands that may not be classified  as illegal under Philippine  laws but are forbidden  by jail rules  under  the  BJMP  Comprehensive  Operations  Manual  Revised  2015.  To

ensure that no such nuisance  contraband  shall be present in jails, BJMP SOP No. 2004-02 dated 14 November 2004 provides:

Section 5. Cell phone signal jammer shall be installed inside the jail so that no one could use cell phones inside the jail facility.

However,  pursuant  to National  Telecommunications  Commission Memorandum  Order  No.  01-02-2013,  the  sale,  purchase,  importation, possession or use of cellular mobile repeater including cellular mobile jamming devices shall be prohibited. The Memorandum Order also provides that only duly licensed  Cellular  Mobile  Telephone  System  (CMTS)  Operators,  the  National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC) and such other government agency/instrumentality  performing functions vital to national security or safety, hereinafter authorized by the Commission, are authorized to purchase, import,  possess  and  use  of  cellular  mobile  repeater  including  cellular  mobile jamming devices.

ON THE PURCHASE OF CELL PHONE SIGNAL JAMMING DEVICES

Pursuant to National Telecommunications  Commission  Memorandum  Order No. 01-02-2013,  the following  shall be observed  in the purchase  of cell phone signal jamming devices:

1.     The BJMP, its Regional Offices, or jail units shall seek authorization from the National  Telecommunications  Commission  for  the  purchase  of cell  phone signal jamming devices to be used inside jail facilities.

2.     Pursuant to the Quality Policy Manual of the NTC, the supplier of cell phone signal  jamming  devices  shall  seek  from  the  NTC  Quality  Management System the following:

a.   Permit to Import (if applicable);
b.   Permit to Possess;
c.   Type Acceptance/Approval  Certificate
d.   Grant of Equipment Conformity Certificate

3.     Pursuant  to  Memorandum   Circular  No.  1-04-88,  Rules  and  Regulations Governing  Equipment  Provided  by  Customers/Subscribers   of  Public Networks, the supplier of cell phone jammer shall also provide the following:

a.   Name of the supplier;
b.   Location/Address where the cell phone jammer is to be installed;
c.   Quantity, type, make, model, serial number, and original supplier of cell phone jammer; and
d.   Pertinent  technical  information  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  by  the network operator.

4.     Supplier shall be responsible  for the proper maintenance  of the cell phone jamming  devices  and  to ensure  that  such  shall  not cause  harm  to public network outside the system of operations and the public.

ON THE INSTALLATION AND USE

1.     Cell phone jamming devices shall be used exclusively  within the jail facility for purposes of disabling the use of cell phones inside jails and shall not be used for commercial purposes.

2.     Cell phone jamming  devices shall only be limited within the jail facility and shall not extend beyond the jail facility.

3.     Cell phone jamming devices shall be used only in a manner which prevents those inside jails from gaining access to mobile network services.

4.     Pursuant to Republic Act No. 4200 and Republic Act No. 8792, cell phone jamming devices shall not be used to listen to, intercept and record, any message,  conversation,  discussion,  or  spoken  or  written  words  made  by those  within  the  jail  facilities  without:  (a)  authorization   of  the  Court  of Appeals; and (b) on surveillance on crimes involving:

a.   treason;
b.   espionage;
c.   provoking war and disloyalty in case of war;
d.   piracy;
e.   mutiny in the high seas;
f.     rebellion;
g.   conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion;
h.   inciting  to rebellion,  sedition,  conspiracy  to commit  sedition;  inciting  to sedition;
i.     kidnapping as defined by the Revised Penal Code;
j.     violations of Commonwealth Act No. 616, punishing espionage and other offenses against national security; and
k.   terrorism.

5.     All recordings  made pursuant  to the authorization  of the Court of Appeals, including all excerpts and summaries thereof as well as all written notes or memoranda made in connection therewith, shall, within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of the period fixed in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals or within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of any extension or renewal granted by the Court of Appeals, be deposited with the authorizing Division of the Court of Appeals in a sealed envelope or sealed package, as the case may be, and shall be accompanied by a joint affidavit of the applicant jail officers and his/her team.

V.   SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

In the event that any provision or part of this policy be declared unauthorized or rendered  invalid  by a competent  authority,  those provisions  not affected  by such declaration shall remain valid and effective.

VI.  REPEALING CLAUSE

All other existing issuances which are inconsistent with this policy are hereby rescinded or modified accordingly.

VII. EFFECTIVITY

This policy shall take effect upon submission  to the Office of the National
Administrative Register, University of the Philippines Law Center.