House passes anti-child porno bill in record time

Published by rudy Date posted on August 13, 2009

Underscoring the urgency of protecting minors from sexual abuse and exploitation, the House of Representatives spent less than two hours Tuesday night to pass on second reading the anti-child pornography bill and is set to finally dispose of the measure next week for transmission to the Senate.

Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, one of the bill’s principal authors, lauded the swift approval on Tuesday night of HB 6440. “In passing the bill, we safeguard our children’s right to have a choice in charting their future, free from the pernicious, far-reaching and life-changing effects of child pornography,” Defensor said.

Defensor, chairman of the House committee on justice, noted that while the actual number of child pornography cases in the world had yet to be determined, research studies on the issue had produced alarming results.

Defensor cited a study by the United States Department of Justice pointing to over one million children in the US abused by porno syndicates. Various police operations conducted by several countries also resulted in the discovery of millions more of images of children victimized into pornography.

“With the age of virtual communications reaching but a fraction of its peak, child pornography is at an all-time high,” Defensor said.

Aside from Defensor, other principal authors of the bill are Reps. Monica Prieto-Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi Tarlac); Darlene Antonino-Custodio (NPC, South Cotabato); Ignacio Arroyo (Lakas-Kampi, Negros Occidental); Rene Velarde (Buhay); Irwin Tieng (Buhay); Adeline Rodriguez-Zaldarriaga (Lakas-Kampi, Rizal); Rodolfo Plaza (NPC, Agusan del Sur); Bienvenido Abante (Lakas-Kampi, Manila); Rufus Rodriguez (PMP, Cagayan de Oro City); and Danilo Suarez (Lakas-Kampi, Quezon)

Zaldarriaga-Rodriguez said HB 6440 is a consolidation of at least six bills filed by over 30 congressmen.

She pointed out that while child pornography is considered among the most pernicious of crimes, the country still has not specific law punishing the act.

The laws protecting the child cannot be considered adequate to protect minors from pornographers, she said.

Under the bill, a victim of child pornography shall be recognized as a victim of violent crime and may claim compensation and his or her family shall be entitled to protection under the law.

Imposable penalties stipulated in the bill include fines ranging from P30,000 to P2 million and a maximum imprisonment of 20 years.

The bill also provides mandatory government services for victims that include emergency shelter, counseling, free legal services, medical and psychological services and educational assistance. –Charlie V. Manalo, Daily Tribune

July 2025

Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”

Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

July


3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 Ju
ly – International Plastic Bag Free Day
 
5 July –
World Youth Skills Day 
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day 
17 July – World Day for
International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons 


Monthly Observances:

Schools Safety Month

Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month

Weekly Observances:

Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.