Phl joins drive vs online sex abuse

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has joined 48 countries in exploring solutions to combat online child sexual abuse.

Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online was aimed at protecting children on the Internet by enhancing investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of child sexual abuse online.

The launch conference, chaired by European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom and US Attorney General Eric Holder, brought together justice and interior ministers from participating countries to discuss the problem of child sexual abuse online, take stock of national efforts and explore possible modalities for international cooperation to address this problem.

Convened by the European Union (EU) and the US, the alliance is supported by Queen Paola of Belgium, who serves as high patron, and Maria Sousa Uva Barroso, wife of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

The launch conference began with an experts’ conference, which was attended by representatives from the European Commission, the US Department of Justice, Interpol, Europol, embassies in Brussels, various ministries of justice, United Nations agencies, international NGOs and civil society.

This was followed by a two-hour ministerial conference attended by the prime minister of Serbia and ministers from 27 alliance members.

Robespierre Bolivar, Chargé d’affaires, ad interim of the Philippine Mission to the EU in Brussels, delivered the Philippine country statement in behalf of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Many delegations, including experts from the European Commission, commended the Philippines’ statement for its clarity and focus.

They also commended the comprehensiveness of the Philippines’ efforts to address the problem of child sexual abuse online, in particular the passage of the Anti-Child Pornography Law of 2009, which, aside from punishing perpetrators, also requires Internet service providers to notify the Philippine National Police or National Bureau of Investigation within 7 days upon discovery that their servers are being used to distribute child sexual abuse images.