Bill defining online violence vs women, children, hurdles House on 2nd reading
The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (INQUIRER.net file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — A proposed measure that would define what would constitute as electronic or online violence against women and children, amending the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, has been approved by the House of Representatives on second reading.
House Bill (HB) No. 8009 — the consolidated version of HBs No. 86, 403, 3849, and 4054 — was approved during Tuesday’s session through viva voce or voice voting.
The bill seeks to insert changes into Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9262 by defining psychological violence as an action that can also be committed through “physical, verbal, emotional, electronic or information and communications technology (ICT) devices or other means”.
A new entry would also be made under Section 3, which would define what ICT-related violence against women and children is.
“Electronic or ICT-related violence refers to any act or omission involving the use or exploitation of data or any form of ICT which causes or is likely to cause mental, emotional, or psychological distress or suffering to the woman and/or her children,” the bill said.
Some of the acts considered as electronic or ICT-related violence against women would be the following:
- recording, reproduction, distribution, use, sharing or uploading of any photograph, video, or other forms of electronic or artistic presentation showing or depicting in any form or manner the genitalia of a woman or those of her children’s genitalia, pubic area, buttocks, breasts, excretory body part or function, nudity, scenes with sexual context or portrayal of sexual conduct such as sexual intercourse, masturbation, kissing, caressing, hugging, and petting
- recording, reproduction, distribution, use, sharing or uploading of any photograph, video, or any other form of electronic or artistic presentation exhibiting any sexually-related verbal or nonverbal expression or gesture of the woman and/or her children which may be construed as lewd, indecent, or obscene
- recording, reproduction, distribution, use, sharing or uploading of any photograph, video, or any other form of electronic or artistic presentation depicting any purported violent or errant behavior of the woman and/or her children, or the use of intoxicating or prohibited substances or drugs
Fines and prison terms for violators — should it become a law — were also upgraded. Conduct of electronic-related violence against women and children will be punishable by reclusion temporal or twelve years and one day to twenty years.
Perpetrators would also be asked to pay a minimum amount of P300,000 and not more than P500,000.
