Ang
Senate Bill No. 1041 (18th Congress) ay Inintroduce ni Senador Imee Marcos nuong September 11, 2019, ito ang kinikilalang pangalawang batas na pinakita sa Senado na patungkol sa "Virtual Cryptocurrencies" ng isang Senador, yung una is yung
SB 1694 (17th Congress) na ginawa ni Senador Leila Delima nuong February 14, 2018 patungkol naman sa pagiging "Aggravating Circumstance" o ang pagtataas ng criminal punishment sa kung sino man gumamit ng cryptocurrency sa mga krimen. Ang malaking pag-kakaiba ng SB 1041 sa SB 1694 ay hindi lang ito tungkol sa punishment kung hindi paano ang magiging estado ng cryptocurrency sa bansa natin, maaring ito na ang magiging unang klase natin na crypto law about how cryptocurrencies can be used in the country. Dito ipapakita ko yung mga nakita kong mahalagang impormasyon sa Senate Bill na ito para makita natin kung ano nga ba ang magiging itsura ng batas natin patungkol sa cryptocurrency, susubukan ko din simplehan ang mga depinisyon at i-explain ang mga ito ng ma-ige.
Senate Bill No. 1041Long Title:AN ACT RECOGNIZING DIGITAL ASSETS, REQUIRING THE REGISTRATION OF DIGITAL ASSET ENTERPRISES, THEIR OPERATORS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Short Title:DIGITAL ASSET ACT OF 2019
Definition of a Virtual Currency in the Philippines
(b) "Digital asset" means "e-money" and "virtual assets"
(c) "E-money" means a digital representations of fiat currency whose issue is backed by
an equivalent fiat currency. It is an electronic store of monetary value on a technical
device that may be widely used for making payments to entities other than the e-money issuer. The device acts as a prepaid bearer instrument which does not necessarily involve bank accounts in transactions.
(f) "virtual asset" means virtual currency and virtual token.
(k) "virtual currency" means an electronic data unit created on an electronic system or network for the purpose of being used as a medium of exchange for the acquisition of goods, services or any other rights, or the exchange between virtual assets, and shall include any other electronic data units.
(I) "virtual token" means an electronic data unit created on an electronic system or network for the purpose of: (i) specifying the right of a person to participate in an investment in any project or business; (ii) specifying the right of a person to acquire specific goods, specific service, or any specific other right under an agreement between the issuer and the holder, and shall include any other electronic data units of right.
Sa mga depinisyon sa isang batas ito na siguro yung masasabi kong isa sa mga maseselan na gawin ng isang mang-babatas dahil ang simpleng depinisyon ng isang bagay ay ma-aaring panghawakan o magalaw ang iba pang mga batas patungkol dito. Parehong Virtual Currency at Virtual Token (Coin and Token) ay makikilang asset sa Pilipinas na pwedeng gamitin as a medium of exchange. Sa depinisyon palang ng pagiging "asset" ng cryptocurrency alam na natin kung saang tax sya papasok and for investments most likely ay capital gains tax ang under dito pero kung isa kang business na tatanggap ng cryptocurrency as payment both capital gains tax at income tax ang magiging obligasyon mo. Sa aking opinyon lang tama na i-lable ng Pilipinas ang mga cryptocurrency as asset bukod sa hindi pagbabago or papakielaman yung lumang batas natin about the Philippine Peso being the only legal tender in the Philippines makakasunod din tayo sa ginagawa ng ibang bansa, recently ang
Japan iniba nila yung term na "virtual currency" sa simpleng tawag na "Crypto Asset" dahil baka daw ma-mislead yung publiko nila na ang mga cryptocurrency ay may parehas na value at gamit sa bansa nila.
Departments Involved in Regulating Cryptocurrencies and Related Businesses
Section 4. BSP as Lead Agency for E-Money. - The BSP shall be in charge of the exercise of powers under this Act over the operation of E-money and shall have the power to issue notifications and perform duties in accordance with this Act.
Section 5. SEC as Lead Agency fo r Virtual Assets. - The SEC shall be in charge of the exercise of powers under this Act over the offering and issuance of virtual assets, and the operation of virtual asset businesses. The SEC shall have the power to issue notifications and perform duties in accordance with this Act.
In terms of what departments are involved with cryptocurrencies masasabi nating wala pa ding nag-bago sakanila. Ang BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) pa rin ang mag-reregulate ng "e-money" meaning bukod sa mga cryptocurrency transactions sila din ang humahawak sa iba pang online/mobile payment sa Pilipinas gaya ng Gcash, PayMaya, at GrabPay. Habang ang SEC (Securities and Echange Commission) pa rin ang hahawak sa mga virtual exchange (crypto exchange) sa Pilipinas at sa mga Issuance ng ICOs dito dahil sila din naman may hawak sa Stock Market natin sa tingin ko sila ang tamang department para humawak dito dahil na rin "asset" na maituturing ang cryptocurrency sa bansa.
ICO Offerings in the Philippines
Section 9. Offering and Issuance o f Virtual Assets. - For the purpose of supervision and monitoring of the issuance and offering of virtual tokens and the undertaking of virtual asset businesses, the SEC shall have the duty and power to establish the policies relating to the promotion and development as well as supervision and monitoring of virtual assets and virtual asset business operators as prescribed under this Act.
Gaya ng sinabi ko ang department ng SEC natin ang hahawak sa mga cryptocurrency offerings aka ICOs dito sa bansa, mahahalintulad din natin ito kung ano ang ginagawa ng ibang bansa na kung saan ang mga ICO projects ay dumadaan din sa proseso ng kanya kanyang SEC department bago ito ma-offer sa kanilang mga citizen. Bukod sa stock market sila din ang nag-reregulate sa other invesment vehicles dito sa Pilipinas gawa ng mutual funds at UITFs kaya sila talaga ang tamang maging head department dito.
Section 12. License to Offer Virtual Tokens. - Only the SEC shall issue a license to offer newly issued virtual tokens to the public. Any natural or juridical person may obtain a license to offer virtual tokens by filing a registration statement and a draft prospectus to the SEC.
The offeror of virtual tokens shall prepare and submit the following information to the
SEC:
(a) reports concerning the results of business operation and the financial conditions;
(b) any information which may affect the rights and interests of virtual token holders or the decision making on investment or the change in the price or value of virtual token.
The SEC shall have the power to specify in a notification the categories of virtual tokens or the characteristics of the offering of virtual tokens which shall be exempt from the requirement to submit a filing of the registration statement for an offering of virtual tokens and the draft prospectus under this Section.
Aside from ICO projects needing to obtain a license bago sila makapag-offer ng kanilang ICO yung pinaka crucial talaga na impormasyon dito is yung hinighlight ko. What the law is basically telling us is that we will also have classifications of ICO offerings sadly walang binigay yung Senate Bill na ito kung any yung mga classifications na iyon malamang ang SEC ang magbibigay ng classification dito. Sa tingin ko mag-kakaroon tayo ng similar approach katulad ng ginawa ng US SEC which has two classifications of ICO offerings one is yung Utility Token and yung tinatawag na Security Token which is similar to being a stock of a company. Pwede tayo mag-expect na additional regulation dito dahil may iba't-ibang uri na tayo ng ICO offerings
Virtual Exchanges, KYC, and their Clients' Protection
Section 13. License to Operate Virtual Asset Business. - Only the SEC shall issue a license to operate a virtual business. The application for the license and the issuance of the license shall be in accordance with the rules, procedures and conditions as specified by the SEC and is subject to payment of the application and license fees.
In operating virtual asset business, a business operator shall comply with the rules, procedures and conditions as specified by the SEC, taking into account the following matters:
(a) sufficient financial resources for the conduct of and risks associated with its operations;
(b) safety of its clients' assets;
(c) security measures against electronic crime, which are capable of protecting the computer system and computer data as well as the management of risks associated with crime or other causes;
(d) appropriate accounting systems for the business and auditing by the auditor approved by the SEC;
(e) know-your-client measures, client due diligence process and measures against financial assistance to terrorists or money laundering.
Sa ngayon dahil wala pa tayong batas na para sa virtual exchanges masasabi ko yung na-itutupad palang dito in advance is yung KYC ng mga user. Habang wala tayong batas na makakapag-enforce ng proteksyon ng mga user masasabi ko na hindi tayo magiging protektado sa kapabayaan nila o di kaya may maduming balak sila. Ngayon if may hack na nangyari or data breach ang makukuha nilang penalty is yung mga nakasaad lang sa mga batas natin ngayon, pwede nilang sabihin na na-bankrupt sila dahil sa recent hack and wala na tayong pera na makukuha pagka-ganun yun ginawa nila. Kung may batas tayo ngayon na mag-proprotekta sa ganitong bagay siguradong safe ang capital natin dahil hindi mag-papabaya ang mga Virtual Exchanges when it comes to their platform's security.
Section 17. Protection of Virtual Asset Clients. - No virtual token business operator in the category of virtual asset broker, including its staff members or employees who are aware or in possession of information related to any order for purchase or sale of any virtual assets or derivatives related to such virtual assets of any client of such business operator, shall take any of the following actions, either for the their own benefit or for the benefit of any other persons, in any manner that is likeiy to cause a disadvantage to the client:
(a) placing, modifying, or cancelling an order for purchase or sale of virtual assets or derivatives related to such virtual assets by taking advantage of doing so before the order of such client is completely executed;
(b) disclosing information related to the order of such client to any other person where they know or ought to know that such other person would rely on such information in placing, modifying or canceiling any order for purchase or saie of virtual assets or derivatives related to such virtual assets before the order of such client is completely executed.
SB 1041 dedicated a whole section for the protection and non-disclosure of the clients' market orders. Mahalaga ito para sa kahit sinong user ng isa crypto exchange dahil yung impormasyon natin sa ating mga traders ay mahalaga and para sa atin. Any kind of leaks sa ating mga orders ay magiging disadvantageous sa atin. Just think of an employee of the virtual exchange you are using is trying to sell your information/market orders to others just to get ahead of you and your orders, dito palang matatalo ka na sa mga trades mo dahil alam na nila yung mga galaw na gagawin mo sa exchange.
Pa-alala lang para sa lahat, this is still a Senate Bill ng Senado and nasa 1st reading palang ito ever since September, right now ang if titignan niyo ang contents ng Bill na ito masasabi niyong hilaw pa sya and konti palang ang naco-cover nito considering that the Bill is only 12 pages long madami pa syang kulang na kailangan ilagay. Hindi pa ito batas and malaki pa ang chance na ma-modify ito or mabago dahil
recently nag-karoon na din ng meeting ang Pilipinas at Japan tungkol sa pagka-karoon ng "Pro-crypto laws" sa Pilipinas and baka maging malaki yung impact nito sa pagbabago ng ating magiging batas. Pero yung Senate Bill na ito ay pwede mag-silbing backbone kung paano huhulmahin ang ating magiging unang batas sa cryptocurrency dito sa Pilipinas.