Prayer rally held vs child pornography

CEBU - In line with the National Day of Unity and Awareness against Child Pornography, a prayer rally was held yesterday afternoon in Cebu City to bolster the campaign to protect children from pornography.

“Children need our protection too,” is the rallying call of the Anti-Child Pornography Alliance (ACPA), an alliance of professionals, business people, organizations and civil society groups with common goal to eliminate all forms of child pornography in the country.

Some 200 ACPA members marched from Fuente Osmeña to St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church along Urgello Street where a Mass was held. 

The rally culminated with a candle lighting which signifies the members’ support to the bill filed by Senator Jamby Madrigal against child pornography.

ACPA Cebu chapter said it is alarmed by the increasing number of victims of child pornography in the country.

Obscene images of children can now be viewed through the Internet, cellphones, magazines, tabloids and other reading materials.

Worst, these are made available to young ladies and boys to lure them into participating as models or promoters.

During a secretariat meeting between ACPA, government organizations, non-government organizations, the civil society and other stakeholders two months ago, ACPA Cebu said that most pornography can be accessed on the Internet.

Most customers were foreigners who pay the recruiter in exchange of nude pictures or live video of children.

During the meeting, plans were discussed in line with the drive to stop child pornography in Cebu.

Yesterday’s rally was one of the series of activities set to drumbeat the issue of child pornography.

“The effects of pornography are far-reaching and may actually last a lifetime because the images are lasting testaments of a child’s exploitation,” ACPA said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM (THE FREEMAN)