CRN hopes bill on anti-online sexual abuse, exploitation of children be enacted into law

CRN hopes bill on anti-online sexual abuse, exploitation of children be enacted into law

The Child Rights Network (CRN) lauded the passage of House Bill No. 10703 which seeks to provide stronger protection against online and offline child sexual abuse and exploitation.

The Senate’s version of the bill, Senate Bill No. 2209, had been passed in May 2021. It is expected that the two bills would be harmonized soon for eventual passage into law, CRN said.

In a statement, CRN Convenor Romeo Dongeto said: “We thank our champion legislators profusely for wrapping up and successfully passing essential legislative measures before Congress dips into a literal standstill for the 2022 elections.”

“With both houses of Congress being able to pass their versions of this bill, we are confident that it will be enacted as law even before the nation changes its roster of leaders in the coming months,” Dongeto also said.”

The CRN paid tribute to the 67 principal authors of the bill in the Lower House, led by House Committee on Revision of Laws Chairperson Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla.

It noted that while both HB 10703 and SB 2209 deeply address the nuanced issue of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), the House version “expands the legal mantle of protection for children against sexual abuse and exploitation by expanding the definition of criminal acts including the live streaming of sexual abuse, and the production, sale, and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.”

“With these amendments, law enforcement agencies are provided a more potent legal tool to combat perpetrators,” Dongeto said.

The enactment of the bill into a stronger anti-OCSEA law, CRN said will be a timely development because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With children locked up in their homes, online platforms became a basic need for the children to continue their education and maintain a sense of normalcy,” Dongeto pointed out.

The economic difficulties spawned by the pandemic make it easier for OCSEA to prey on children, he stressed.

“Data from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showed how rapidly OCSEA cases increased during the pandemic, noting that there was a 209 percent increase in the cyber tip reports for the Philippines, from 2020 (1,294,750 cyber tips) compared to 2019 (418,422 cyber tips),” he said.

The figures, he added, complement the findings of a risk assessment report released by the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council in 2020 which revealed that there had been a significant rise in the suspicious financial transactions reporting related to OCSEA in 2020.

“From the 597 suspicious transaction reports recorded in May 2019, the figures bloated to 5,634 in May 2020,” he said quoting from the report.

He also said: “With the Anti-OCSEA Bill nearing passage as law, the grim days when online sexual predators have freely operated in the dark corners of the Internet is set to come to a close. This landmark legislation will serve as a potent weapon to combat sexual abuse and exploitation and can aid the Philippines in hurdling through the digital age with ample protection for children in place.”