Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte has filed a bill seeking to strengthen the Anti-Child Pornography Act by improving accountability of internet service providers (ISPs) to reverse the alarming rise in online child abuse amid the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns.
Villafuerte has expressed alarm over a report by the Department of Justice-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) that there has been a 264.6% rise in reported cases of Filipino children being sexually abused over the internet by pedophiles in the period when strict pandemic-induced lockdowns were in place, compared to the same period in 2019.
Under HB 7947, Villafuerte seeks to mandate all ISPs to install the latest technology, program or software to ensure that access to or transmittal of any form of child pornography are blocked or filtered.
“While the internet has helped us survive strict mobility restrictions through various online services, it also has facilitated child abuse. Hence, this measure intends to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Law by improving the accountability of ISPs,” Villafuerte said in House Bill (HB) No. 7947.
Villafuerte lamented reports that other than the usual pimps and child traffickers, the perpetrators are sometimes the parents of the child victims themselves.
“The internet should be a safe space for our children especially now that we are more dependent on it for education. This bill seeks to provide more protection to our children and further increase its penalties over ISPs to further deter the commission of online child sexual exploitation crimes,” Villafuerte said.
Under HB 7947, Villafuerte seeks to mandate all ISPs to install the latest technology, program or software to ensure that access to or transmittal of any form of child pornography are blocked or filtered.
All ISPS are required to submit an annual report to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on the status of the technology, program or software that they have installed or are utilizing to comply with this provision.
The bill also increases the fines for ISPs found guilty of willfully and knowingly failing to comply with the notice and installation requirements stated under the proposed law.
The previous penalty of not less than P500,000.00 under the Anti-Child Pornography Law was increased to P5 million but not more than P10 million for the first offense under HB 7947.
The bill also increases the fines for ISPs found guilty of willfully and knowingly failing to comply with the notice and installation requirements stated under the proposed law.
In case of subsequent offense, the penalty against the erring ISP shall be a fine of not less than P11 million but more than P15 million, along with the revocation of its license to operate.
“Provided that, when an officer or director of any ISP is found liable for any unlawful act or negligence resulting to the commission of the offense, such officer or director shall be jointly and solidarity liable with the ISP and shall suffer the penalty of prison correctional in addition to the abovementioned fines,” the proposed amendment to the law under HB 7947 states.
