MANILA, Philippines?The House of Representatives delivered what could be the strongest warning yet to child pornographers, pedophiles, cyber-sex den and unscrupulous Internet café operators by unanimously approving on third reading on Monday the Anti-Child Pornography Bill.

?We must protect our children. We must not allow their abuse and exploitation. Its about time that we apprehended and prosecuted these child pornography propagators and pedophiles,? said principal author Rep. Monica (Nikki) Prieto-Teodoro. ?The approval and implementation of House Bill 6440 takes legal action on violators and provides a deterrent to would-be offenders.

?An estimated 100,000 websites carry child pornographic images. Approximately 20 percent of Internet pornography involves children and over 2,000 child pornographic images are posted online everyday,? Teodoro said.

She cited statistics from the Department of Social Welfare and Development which placed at more than 60,000 the number of street children who may be victims of child prostitution. In fact, the Philippines ranks fourth among countries with the most number of prostituted children, she said.

A child rights and welfare advocate, Teodoro said the lack of strict laws against child pornography and the ineffective prosecution of perpetrators are the key factors that make the Philippines a haven for those who produce, use and distribute child pornography.

The other principal authors of the Anti-Child Pornography Bill are Representatives Darlene Custodio, Rene Velarde, Ignacio Arroyo, Rufus Rodriguez, Narciso Santiago, and Matias Defensor.