Child Rights Network welcomes House passage of stronger Anti-Online Child Sexual Exploitation & Abuse Bill on 3rd reading mere days before campaign season kicks off

January 31 – Advocates under Child Rights Network (CRN), the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines, heaved a collective sigh of relief as the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 10703 or the bill providing stronger protections against online and offline child sexual exploitation and abuse just four days before the adjournment of the congressional session to give way to the start of the 2022 electoral campaign period.

“We thank our champion legislators profusely for wrapping up and successfully passing essential legislative measures before Congress dips into a literal standstill for the 2022 elections. With both houses of Congress being able to pass their versions of this bill, we are confident that it will be enacted as law even before the nation changes its roster of leaders in the coming months,” CRN Convenor Romeo Dongeto said.

CRN especially thanked all 67 principal authors of the bill in the Lower House, led by House Committee on Revision of Laws Chair Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla.

As the Senate has already passed its version of the bill – Senate Bill 2209 – last May 2021, it is expected that a bicameral conference committee meeting will be convened soon to harmonize conflicting provisions in the two versions.

Expanded definition
Though both HB 10703 and SB 2209 deeply address the nuanced issue of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA), the House version expands the legal mantle of protection for children against sexual abuse and exploitation by expanding the definition of criminal acts including the livestreaming of sexual abuse, and the production, sale, and distribution of child sexual abuse materials. With these amendments, law enforcement agencies are provided a more potent legal tool to combat perpetrators.

Despite having conflicting provisions, both the House and Senate versions contain far more similar provisions which have been crafted through extensive consultations with stakeholders, including children and young people, victim-survivors, family court judges, duty-bearers, internet service providers, tech and social media companies, and civil society organizations. Both versions grant potent tools to law enforcement authorities to swiftly pursue perpetrators of OCSEA and effectively tear the veil of anonymity that hides their nefarious acts in cyberspace.

Both the Senate and House versions also lay down the responsibilities of Internet intermediaries, including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Internet Content Hosts, Social Networking Sites, and banking and financial institutions, enabling the government to work in tandem with the private sector not only to block child sexual abuse or exploitation materials but also to ensure that technological or other practical safeguards are in place to prevent or detect recruitment and trafficking.

“What started as a campaign to strengthen our laws against online crimes against children has now transformed into a comprehensive upgrading of our law to roundly protect children both online and offline,” Dongeto remarked, adding that advocates are confident that the bicam will be able to resolve the minute differences in both versions of the bill and have it transmitted to the president for signing in the coming days.

Timely development
CRN noted that passing a stronger anti-OCSEA Law will be a timely development, as the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly aggravated the situation. With children locked up in their homes, online platforms became a basic need for the children to continue their education and maintain a sense of normalcy.

Coupled with economic difficulties, this situation made it easier for OCSEA perpetrators to prey on children. Data from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showed how rapidly OCSEA cases increased during the pandemic, noting that there was a 209% increase in the cyber tip reports for the Philippines, from 2020 (1,294,750 cyber tips) compared to 2019 (418,422 cyber tips).

These figures complement the findings of a risk assessment report released by the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council in 2020 which showed that there had been a significant rise in the suspicious financial transactions reporting related to OCSEA in 2020. From the 597 suspicious transaction reports recorded in May 2019, the figures bloated to 5,634 in May 2020.

“With the Anti-OCSEA Bill nearing passage as law, the grim days when online sexual predators have freely operated in the dark corners of the Internet is set to come to a close. This landmark legislation will serve as a potent weapon to combat sexual abuse and exploitation and can aid the Philippines in hurdling through the digital age with ample protection for children in place,” Dongeto stressed.

“At a time when even basic social services, especially education, largely depend on the Internet, the new law holistically responds to the advocates’ longstanding call for stronger online child safety regulations,” Dongeto added.

“The legislative road this bill has taken is strong proof that the private and public sector can go hand-in-hand to protect our children. This development also poses a challenge to the whole of society – we need to continue this path of protective cooperation and ensure that Filipino children are raised in a happy, safe, and empowering environment,” Dongeto ended. ###

About Child Rights Network
Child Rights Network is the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines.

Media Contact:
Richard Dy
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