Republic Act No. 1539

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1

Sections one, two, as amended, four and seven of Act Numbered Thirty-three hundred and ninety-six, are amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 1. It shall be unlawful for any vessel of Philippine register specified in section two hereof to sail or attempt to sail from any port of the Philippines without being equipped with efficient apparatus for sending and receiving messages by radio.

"Sec. 2. Vessels of Philippine register engaged in coastwise trade and authorized to carry passengers and/or freight and cargo vessels of Philippine register of three hundred and fifty tons gross or over engaged in coastwise trade, and the number of the crew complement notwithstanding, except vessels plying exclusively on rivers, lakes, and bays, and on straits when the distance traversed is not greater than sixty miles point to point and its voyage does not last over five hours, shall be equipped with radio apparatus capable of not less than two hundred nautical miles by day and night.

"Sec. 4. The radio apparatus shall be operated at all times by an operator holding a first class commercial radio telegraph operator’s license duly issued under the Radio Control Law and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

"Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Customs to supervise the strict enforcement of the provisions of this Act. The violation of any of the provisions hereof shall be punished in accordance with the seriousness of the offense, after administrative proceedings before the Commissioner of Customs begun by him or at the Instance of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications with a fine of not less than fifty pesos nor more than two thousand pesos imposed upon the shipowner and the suspension of the license of the master of the vessel concerned."

Section 2

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 16, 1956.