The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reminded the public that reproducing Philippine banknotes without authorization is prohibited and punishable under existing regulations.
The central bank said BSP Circular No. 829, Series of 2014, prohibits the printing, photocopying and distribution of Philippine currency, whether in color or black and white.
According to the BSP, reproducing banknotes is allowed only with prior authorization from the central bank and only for educational, historical or numismatic purposes.
Individuals found guilty of violating the regulation may face imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than 10 years.
The reminder followed discussions on social media after statements made during an impeachment trial involving Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan. During the proceedings, Ligutan emphasized that a photocopied document could be considered an original under certain legal circumstances.
The issue also drew attention to a 2025 Supreme Court jurisprudence, People of the Philippines vs. Lastimosa, which allowed photocopies to be admitted as evidence in court under applicable rules.
However, the BSP stressed that the legal treatment of photocopied documents in judicial proceedings is different from reproducing Philippine currency.
Following the impeachment trial, several social media users posted images showing printed or photocopied banknotes, claiming these were in response to statements suggesting that photocopies could be considered original documents.
The BSP reiterated that reproducing Philippine banknotes without authorization remains illegal regardless of the discussions surrounding the admissibility of photocopied documents in court. The central bank urged the public to comply with existing regulations and avoid reproducing Philippine currency without proper approval.
