The House Committee on Women and Gender Equality has moved to strengthen legal protections against technology-enabled violence targeting women and children, as lawmakers step up efforts to address abuse linked to artificial intelligence, social media platforms, and manipulated digital content.
Chaired by Laguna representative Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, the panel this week deliberated on a substitute bill that consolidates multiple proposals aimed at combating emerging forms of online and tech-driven abuse, including deepfakes, impersonation, and digital harassment.
Matibag said the measure is grounded in the real-world experiences of women navigating risks in digital spaces, where technology has increasingly been used to facilitate intimidation, exploitation, and disinformation.
The consolidated bill introduces a key shift in terminology — from “electronic violence against women and children” to “technology-facilitated VAWC.”
Lawmakers said the change reflects the growing role of advanced technologies, including generative AI and deepfake tools, in enabling abuse.
Committee members said the updated language is designed to future-proof the law as digital platforms and automated content-generation tools evolve.
The panel also tackled House Bills 768 and 5564, which seek to amend the Safe Spaces Act to strengthen online protections.
The proposed measures would allow victims to request the takedown of manipulated or abusive digital material, penalize online grooming, and hold schools and training institutions accountable for failing to address serial sexual offenders.
In principle, the committee also approved House Bills 1047, 3118, 5198, and 5464, which aim to tighten rules on technology-enabled harassment in workplaces and academic institutions, including incidents involving messaging apps, learning platforms, and remote training systems.
Beyond online safety, lawmakers discussed proposals to use digital governance tools to improve women’s participation in politics.
House Bills 1385, 3400, and 6475 seek to require political parties to adopt gender-equality standards, set minimum thresholds for women in leadership roles, and establish a Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund.
Lawmakers said the package of measures reflects growing concern over how emerging technologies — particularly AI-driven tools and social platforms — are reshaping the landscape of gender-based violence, underscoring the need for updated legal frameworks that can respond to digital-era threats.
