Senators seek review of laws on rights of minors

MANILA, Philippines – Senators vowed to review and strengthen existing laws that should protect the rights  of minors  amid strong public opinion against the appearance of a six-year-old boy who did a sexual dance number in a popular television show.

Senator Pia Cayetano said the Senate committee on youth, women and family relations would review existing laws to ensure that the rights of the child were observed and protected.

While there are specific laws that guarantee the rights of the child, Cayetano said Congress must still make sure that these laws would be “applicable to various circumstances and remain relevant to our times.”

“We have so many talent shows and contests where kids are made to dress and gyrate like sexy dancers thinking that it’s ‘cute’ or ‘funny.’ But in gender-sensitive cities like Davao, the mayor has long banned the swimsuit portion in their annual Mutya ng Dabaw search,” she said in a statement.

There’s no reason why we can’t adopt this example across the country and show the same respect for both women and children, not only in talent shows but also on TV, advertisements and all forms of media,” she pointed out.

The chairman of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, Senator Gringo Honasan III, said he would also call a meeting to find out from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) if the rights  of the children were protected under its existing  guidelines.

The meeting, Honasan said, was preparatory to a hearing that may be called by the committee.

While he reiterated his position towards self-regulation, the senator believes that there should be a specific penalty, and not just a simple apology, for those who would violate the rights of minors.

“E kung sasabihin nilang okay lang dahil may apology na [What if they say, it’s okay now because an apology was made], then the Senate will come in. Dapat may kaukulang parusa din [There should also be a corresponding punishment],” Honasan said over the phone.