The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reiterated that photocopying or reproducing banknotes is strictly prohibited.
The reminder comes after images of photocopied currency circulated online, following a viral statement by private prosecutor Atty. Amando Ligutan that “photocopy is now an original,” which was taken out of context.
WHAT HAPPENED. On the second day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the defense team objected to the use of printouts to authenticate a video allegedly featuring the vice president.
As proceedings continued, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung explained the process he used to preserve and verify the video, which purportedly showed Duterte hiring an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Calilung said the digital forensic process included filing a preservation request with Meta Platforms, as well as capturing screen recordings and generating a unique hash value to ensure the file remained original and untampered before being presented in court.
Ligutan, for his part, sought to establish the video’s authenticity by presenting a certified true copy of Calilung’s affidavit, along with printed screenshots of the request sent to Meta.
“Photocopy now is considered an original,” Ligutan said.
However, defense lawyer Atty. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa objected, arguing that the prosecution was relying on photocopies instead of the original data.
SUPREME COURT RULING. In a ruling promulgated in February 2025, the Supreme Court of the Philippines stated that “a duplicate or photocopy of original documents, whether in paper or electronic form, can be admitted as evidence in court, provided there is no genuine question regarding the original’s authenticity or the fairness of using the copy.”
“However, the SC emphasized that while a photocopy may be admissible, its weight or value depends on how well it corroborates or supports other available evidence,” the court added.
BSP’S WARNING. Under BSP Circular No. 829, Section 8, “No person or entity, public or private, shall design, engrave, print, make or execute in any other manner, or utter, issue, distribute, circulate or use any handbill, advertisement, placard, circular, card, or any other object whatsoever bearing the facsimile, likeness or similitude of any legal tender Philippine currency note, or any part thereof, whether in black and white or any color or combination of colors, without prior authority… from the Governor, BSP, or his duly authorized representative.”
The circular further states that violations “shall subject the offender to imprisonment of not less than five (5) years, but not more than ten (10) years. In case the Revised Penal Code provides for a greater penalty, then that penalty shall be imposed.” — Photo from yupinkz/X
