Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday announced his plan to push for more government funding to combat child exploitation and other illegal activities on the dark web.
He warned that children are increasingly exposed to illicit content online, making them vulnerable to exploitation by syndicates operating in hidden corners of the internet.
The lawmaker cited the dark web as a hub for crimes such as child pornography, online gambling, and the trade of illegal drugs and weapons.
Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said he will raise the issue during deliberations on the proposed budget of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
The CICC is an attached agency under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and plays a central role in online monitoring.
According to the agency, it has the capability to access the dark web but lacks the resources to sustain full-time monitoring.
CICC acting executive director Renato Paraiso said the agency needs an annual subscription to a collaborative database and monitoring system to strengthen operations.
Paraiso estimated that the subscription would cost between 150 million pesos and 200 million pesos each year.
Gatchalian emphasized that the government should be able to acquire advanced technology to track transactions taking place beyond the surface web.
“This is about protecting our children. The government should have the technology and the capability to penetrate the dark web and apprehend those who proliferate and purchase illegal and illicit materials,” the senator said.
