The Department of Justice said Tuesday the National Telecommunications Commission had issued show-cause orders to 47 internet service providers, including the major players Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communication, Digitel Mobile Philippines and PLDT Inc. over their alleged violation of Republic Act 9975 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.
Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said the show-cause orders were issued after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the DOJ-led Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to impose sanctions on ISPs for their failure to fulfill their duties under RA 9975.
ISPs are mandated to inform civilian law enforcement agencies when they discover any child porn materials running through their servers, while ensuring to update the company’s hardware and software with the technology needed to block webpages promoting or showing such photos and videos.
Besides the order for the NTC to sanction ISPs for not complying with the anti-child pornography law, Duterte also approved the issuance of an executive order enjoining the strengthened cooperation between the IACAT, the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography, and other relevant agencies.
Duterte also ordered the formulation of a case management protocol and the streamlining of the online sexual exploitation of children information dissemination efforts led by the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
“The draft of the executive order is currently being discussed in a technical working group,” Villar said.
She says the President will also certify as priority the passage of bills in Congress to amend the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act that exempts trafficking in persons from the anti-wire-tapping law, broaden the membership of the IACAT, and impose obligations on internet service providers and tourism establishments.
“We have already established communication with the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office regarding the pending bills on this subject,” Villar said.
She also said strengthening the IACAT by providing plantilla positions and additional funding was also being studied.
In September last year, the Anti-Money Laundering Council said more than 5,500 suspicious transactions were seen in March and May that might be related to the possible online sexual exploitation of children.
The AMLC said the economical challenges in view of the lockdowns as a driving force for young people to go into pornography, a basis echoed by other groups who noted that the economic downturn caused by the health crisis forced some students to look for ways to sustain their education.