Senator to push for stiffer penalties on child porn on Net
Date: February 07, 2005Source: INQ7.net
By:
A SENATOR is drafting a law that would make possession of child pornography a criminal act in the Philippines.
Senator Maria Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal said in an interview that the measure would also mete stiffer penalties on people caught distributing, creating, and purveying child pornography in the Philippines in various media including the Internet.
"We want to tighten the laws so that we don't become the dumping ground of these foreign sex perverts. We'll fight for this law and speedy passage in the Senate," she said.
According to Alex Ramos, a member of the technical working group working on the bill, many cases involving child pornography have been dismissed.
"We have more than 20 cases involving child pornography that have been dismissed by courts in the last three years. Most of the courts' ruling imply that mere possession of child pornography is not illegal," he said.
Ramos cited the recent case against suspected child pornographer Roland Thys, a
Belgian who operated a cybersex den in Angeles City. Thys was arrested last October 27, 2004 for alleged online trafficking of children and women.
However, a local court later dismissed Thys' case due to lack of evidence, according to Ramos.
"The court ruled that mere possession of evidences of images of child porn doesn't constitute human trafficking. He was later released," added Ramos.
Madrigal however has filed a separate case against the suspected Belgian child pornographer with the Department of Justice, according to Ramos.
"Cybersex has become a billion dollar underground industry in the Philippines. The operator of the Orgasmic Ventures Inc. in Las Piñas was earning at least 100,000 dollars a day. We want to remove all these cybersex dens in the Philippines," said Madrigal.
Orgasmic Ventures Inc. was operated by Filipino Aloysius Galvez. He was arrested by police on January 21 after months of surveillance.
Galvez had been operating at least six cybersex dens in Las Piñas City alone, according to Ramos. Galvez was is facing a case "qualified trafficking," which is non-bailable under Republic Act 7610.
Madrigal is chairperson of the Senate committee on youth, women, and family relations.
Add comment
Email to a Friend
