Forty-seven internet service providers (ISPs) which have been accused of negligence in combatting child pornography have been directed to explain by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay Villar on Tuesday, Feb. 9, said:
“NTC already issued show cause orders to ISPs which have violated Section 9 of Republic Act No. 9775, the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.”
Villar, in-charge of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), said the NTC has started hearing the cases last Monday, Feb. 8.
The list provided by Villar identified the ISPs as: Philippine Long Distance Telephone, Inc. (PLDT), Smart Communications, Inc., Smart Broadband, Inc., Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., Innove Communications, Inc., Bayan Telecommunications, Inc., Sky Cable Corporation, Inc., Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.
Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Naic Cable TV Corporation, AMS Paracale CATV System, Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation, Textron Corporation, Telecommunications Technologies Philippines, Inc., Philippine Global Communications, Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc., Infinivan Inc.
Cablelink Holdings Corporation and Cablelink Internet Service, Inc., Sear Telecommunications, Inc., Telstra Philippines, Inc., Responsible Internet Sustainability Effort, Inc., PHILWEB Corp., E-PLDT, Inc., General Telephone System, Inc., TELCONWORXS, Inc., Colorview CATV, Inc., Philippine Network Foundation Inc., Planet Cable Inc., Telmarc Corp.
Skymiles, Inc., Kontak One Management, Inc., WifiCity, Inc., FIL Products Service TV, Inc., IP Converge Data Services, Inc., PHCOLO, BC Net, Inc., Nclub, Inc., AER PlatinumBand Services and Trading, Inc., AirFib Corp., Apollo Technologies, Inc., Apollo Global Corp., Binangonan Cable TV Corp., Biz’n Cloud Networks, Inc., and Blackfiber Communications Corp.
Villar said the show cause orders were issued after President Duterte approved the recommendations of the IACAT to “direct NTC to impose sanctions on ISPs for failure to fulfill duties under RA 9775.”
The EO will also direct the formulation of a case management protocol and streamline information dissemination efforts headed by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).
Also, Villar said the President has approved the recommendations of the IACAT to certify the priority passage of the bill amending the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
She said the proposed bill pushes to exempt trafficking in persons from the Anti-Wire Tapping Law, broaden the membership of the IACAT, and impose obligations on ISPs and tourism establishments.
She added the President has considered the provision of “plantilla positions and additional funding” for IACAT.