Saying that some drones used for recreational and commercial purposes might be exploited by terrorists, used to violate rights, or could pose a hazard to aircraft, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III wants to regulate its use.
He noted that the drone attacks claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that struck two key oil installations inside Saudi Arabia. It damaged facilities that process the vast majority of the country’s crude output and raising the risk of a disruption in world oil supplies.
Because of this, Pimentel seeks to penalize private individuals who are not authorized to own and operate drones either for recreational purposes or for commercial use.
Over the last two decades, he said drones are used for photography. They are also used to increase crop production in commercial use and to conduct surveillance and law enforcement operations.
Just recently, United Parcel Service (UPS), an American multinational package delivery and supply chain management, was granted approval by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate a “drone airline.”
“With this ubiquity, comes the need for regulation,” stressed Pimentel in filing Senate Bill No. 1098, or an “Act Regulating the ownership and Operation of Drones by Private Persons.”