SENATOR Mark Villar filed a measure that will establish an alert system on kidnapping and other crimes against children.

Senate Bill 2256 or the Philippine Amber Alert Act mandates the establishment of a Philippine Alert System to be maintained by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in cooperation with other government agencies, broadcast media entities and social media platforms.

Villar said the kidnapping of children and other forms of crimes can be solved through the system which provides the public with immediate and up-to-date information regarding a missing or kidnapped child through via television, radio and wireless devices.

The system was first developed in the United States. It involves community members in the search for the kidnapped child and the suspect.

The AMBER Alert system, or America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, is the namesake of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 13, 1996, and found dead four days later about eight kilometers away from where she was last seen.

Under the measure, an Amber Alert may only be activated after the following conditions have been met: abduction or kidnapping has been confirmed and the victim is 17 years old and below; victim is at risk of serious bodily injury or death; sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in the recovery of the missing or abducted child; and alert coordinator determines that activation of the alert is necessary.

The measure also seeks to penalize persons who knowingly and falsely activate an Amber Alert or who provide false information regarding the abduction or disappearance of a child with imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than six years and a fine of not less P500,000 and not more than P1 million.