Voting 23-0, the Senate approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to expand and improve government protection for children against online sexual abuse and exploitation.
The senators passed Senate Bill No. 2209, also known as the proposed Special Protections Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) Law, or the Anti-OSAEC Law.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, and sponsor of the bill, welcomed the passage of the bill and hoped it would be signed into law soon.
The senator stressed the measure is a much-needed update of existing laws to better protect children against acts of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation committed online.
"It is time that we put an end to the rampant online sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the country," Hontiveros said.
"Let's make sure that there will be no more predators and abusers who will be able to avoid our laws, and that there will be no more child victims subjected to such horrible acts," Hontiveros said.
The bill expands provisions under the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (RA 9775) and plugs the loopholes in the law by defining and penalizing online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) as a crime separate from those punished under current laws like the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Law (RA 7610) and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208).
The bill also empowers law enforcement authorities with additional tools to investigate and prosecute Filipino and foreign perpetrators of OSAEC, particularly those hiding behind the veil of anonymity provided by online platforms and applications.
"As a solo mother of four, I know the feeling of helplessness when my own children become the subject of cyber attacks and bullying," she said.
"I can only imagine it is worse for parents who have to deal with anonymous predators who may be sexually abusing and exploiting their children," added the senator.
The bill, she said, also imposes additional legal duties on internet intermediaries - such as internet service providers (ISPs), web hosting providers, online payment system providers, social media networks and others--to adopt systems of preventing, detecting, blocking and reporting acts of OSAEC.
She said this means that social media companies like Facebook may be duty-bound under the law to block and remove material involving child sexual abuse and exploitation within 24 hours from receipt of notice, preserve such evidence in their possession, and devise procedures of preventing, detecting, blocking and reporting any similar material.
Under the measure, a registry of foreign and local OSAEC offenders will be maintained and regularly updated by the government. It also bans convicted foreign perpetrators of OSAEC, and those being investigated upon by local authorities, from entering the country.
The bill also seeks the creation of National Coordination Center against OSAEC (NCC-OSAEC) that will coordinate government efforts against OSAEC and to receive tips and reports of such activities.
"We have a shared responsibility to end the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Armed with effective legislation, we should work as one community towards stopping these horrible acts against young Filipinos everywhere," Hontiveros stressed.