MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros is pushing to expand a bill seeking to protect Filipino children not only from sexual exploitation but also from emerging non-sexual digital harms.
The proposed changes came in the wake of recent school violence in Tacloban and Zamboanga, which prompted lawmakers and child protection advocates to examine whether online influences may be contributing to violent behavior among minors.
During plenary deliberations on Senate Bill 1819, or the proposed Child Online Protection and Safety Act on Wednesday, Hontiveros said amendments are being prepared to equip law enforcement agencies with investigative tools similar to those used against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
"The new title of the bill will be the Child Online Protection and Safety Act, stemming from the recognition that online harms to children are not merely sexual. These proposals are germane to this law," she said.
Hontiveros, the principal sponsor and author of the measure, cited recent classroom violence involving minors at Ateneo de Zamboanga as a warning sign.
She warned against "nihilistic violent extremism," where online predators manipulate and groom young people to commit acts of violence.
To address these threats, Hontiveros detailed key amendments crafted with the Department of Justice, the National Coordinating Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (NCC-OSAEC), and child advocacy groups.
"These new amendments would allow the issuance of investigative subpoenas for subscriber and traffic data information, provide greater tools for wider intelligence gathering and undercover online operations, require the preservation of digital evidence including the retention of evidence to identify additional victims and suspects," she added.
