Groups push child anti-pornography bill

CEBU, Philippines – Amid the hot issue of the Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili sex video scandal, groups are fighting for the passage of the bill that seeks to protect children from pornography.

Ligaya Abadesco, spokesperson for the Visayan Forum Foundation Incorporated, said that the bill authored by Senator Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal that is out to combat child pornography and the imposition of stiffer penalties for the commission of such would be a very big help in order to prevent such cases and protect the welfare of the children.

Abadesco said that the bill has already passed the second hearing in the lower court and is already subject for third hearing which will be defended by South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio.

The bill was made to “guarantee the rights of every child from all forms of neglect, cruelty, and other conditions prejudicial to their development and protect them from all sorts of exploitation.”

Lawyer Jaque de la Peña of Kaabag Sugbo also said that they are looking forward for the approval of the bill saying that it would help a lot in the preventive aspect of child pornography.

Other groups are also fighting hand-in-hand with the said groups like Share-a-Child Movement headed by lawyer Nina Valenzona and the Sugbuanong Pundok Aron Sugpuon ang Child Abuse, an organization made up of child rights advocates from public high schools as well as those members who have graduated from high school and are now enrolled in college as scholars of the Share-A-Child Movement.

Marianne Angana of SUPACA said that even at their young age, they are concerned with the fact they have gathered through discussions that cases of child pornography are increasing.

Angana said that they have had round table discussions with different schools in Cebu together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine National Police wherein they got more information of cases of child pornography.

She said that children’s easy access of information on the worldwide web is very alarming and should be given attention because for just P1, they can watch pornographic materials for four to six minutes which are “already a big, bad influence”.

Angana said that they wish for the bill to be approved immediately so that stiffer punishments and bigger fines would be implemented against offenders.

Aside from the discussions, they will be doing room-to-room visits and discussions also since school has started so that they would be able to give more information to the youth, which according to her would be a big help in letting the children know of their rights and where they could get protection.

The organizations mentioned will also be having a workshop this Friday with barangay officials and Internet café owners in order to deepen discussions on anti-child pornography matters. – AJ dela Torre/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)