The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Saturday reminded the public that reproducing Philippine banknotes without authorization from the central bank is prohibited by law, warning against the printing, photocopying, or distribution of images or facsimiles of peso bills.
The advisory came after claims circulated on social media suggesting that photocopied Philippine banknotes could be used to purchase goods, a claim the BSP effectively debunked.
“The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reminds the public that reproducing Philippine banknotes without prior BSP authorization is prohibited by law,” the central bank said.
Under BSP Circular No. 829, Series of 2014, no person or entity is allowed to print, photocopy, distribute, or use any image or facsimile of a Philippine banknote—whether in black and white, in color, or in any combination of colors—without prior approval from the BSP.
Violators may face imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than 10 years, according to the central bank.
The BSP said unauthorized reproduction of banknotes constitutes a violation of the circular, which aims to protect the integrity and security of Philippine currency.
The online trend emerged during the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, when prosecution counsel Atty. Amando Ligutan argued against defense objections over the admissibility of photocopied documents.
Ligutan cited the Supreme Court’s Revised Rules on Evidence, which recognize accurate photographic duplicates and electronic printouts as admissible evidence under certain circumstances and to the same extent as original documents.
However, social media users removed the statement from its legal context and applied it incorrectly to physical currency. Viral posts jokingly claimed that since a “photocopy is considered original” in evidence proceedings, photocopied banknotes could also be used as money.
The BSP clarified that the rule on evidence does not apply to the reproduction or use of Philippine currency.
The central bank added that it "may authorize the reproduction of Philippine banknotes only for educational, historical, or numismatic purposes that help promote currency integrity, subject to the conditions set under BSP Circular No. 829."
