Lawmakers from a party-list have urged police authorities to run after the syndicates engaged in cyber pornography in many parts the country.
Gabriela party-list representatives Emmi de Jesus and Luzviminda Ilagan filed House Resolution 453, which also called on the House Committees on Welfare of Children and Women and Gender Equality to conduct an inquiry on “Sweetie”, a 10-year old virtual girl, which was created by Dutch-based children’s right group Terre Des Homes to track down alleged pedophiles in various countries.
De Jesus said after ten weeks, the Terre Des Homes reported that some 20,000 people from 71 countries approached the fake girl asking for sexual performances.
The Terre Des Homes also said that tens of thousands of victims are found in the Philippines alone.
De Jesus cited a recent report identifying Ibabao, Cordova, Cebu as a cybersex hot spot wherein footage of children performing sex acts are being streamed online to pedophiles around the world.
She also pointed to a recent study of the National Statistics Coordination Board that most of the cyber pornography victims come from Manila, the Ilocos region, Central Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
“There is a glaring inability of the government agencies to stop pedophilia and cyber pornography,” De Jesus said.
De Jesus said the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 affirms the state responsibility to protect every child from all forms of exploitation and abuse, including the use of children in pornographic performances.
The law defines child pornography as any representation, whether visual or audio, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or any other means.
