rchelicopterhub.com / rchelicopter.hu
12 October 2019

Drone bill filed in Philippines
Senator Koko Pimentel would regulate the ownership and operations

Senator Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III, also known as Koko Pimentel, leader of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan has filed a bill that would regulate the ownership and operation of drone by private persons regardless the purpose.

Drone bill filed in Philippines
Original Image: The Philippine Star

The Philippine Star Reported: The bill require all owners to register themselves periodically in case of recreational and commercial use as well. As he noted in his post on Facebook on 3rd of October, this is required due to safety measures, considering that more illegal drone activities happened across the world, and the devices used for recreational activities and commercial operations can be used for terrorism as well.

Seemingly the same battle has started in the Philippines as everywhere else before, which questions the efficiency of a law requiring registration against terrorism. By common sense, drones used for terrorism will unlikely be registered, therefore the law will be just a bureaucratic problem for all lawful operators, whilst it will be totally useless according to its original aim. 

Huge debate started between drone users and bill supporters after the announcement, and not surprisingly local RC communities and individual drone owners are all against the bill.