Lack of PH child online safety law weakens efforts vs. school violence — Senator Hontiveros

Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday warned that delays in passing the proposed child online safety law could weaken efforts to prevent online-driven violence from spilling into schools.

“Pinaka-importante, urgent po itong bill (This is most important, this bill is urgent),” Hontiveros said in a radio interview, citing law enforcers and investigators who want stronger tools to prevent another school shooting or major violent incident involving children.

The measure seeks to amend the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children law by expanding it into a broader child online safety bill covering child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and online mechanisms linked to nihilistic violent extremism.

Hontiveros cited the school shootings in Tacloban and Zamboanga as examples of the worst effects of harmful online influence on minors.

“Minsan yung kaaway ng the good ay yung the perfect. So huwag naman sanang pine-perfect natin yung bill at the expense of kaligtasan ng ating mga bata (Sometimes the enemy of the good is the perfect. So, I hope we are not perfecting the bill at the expense of the safety of our children),” she said.

Hontiveros denied that the bill was being rushed, saying it has been under the period of amendments for three weeks.

She said she had read and accepted about 80 amendments last week, including several from a colleague, and remained open to more changes during the week.

“Laging bukas ako dyan. Lagi kong sinasagot and lahat ng mga amyenda niya so far tinanggap ko (I am always open to that. I always answer, and all of her amendments so far, I accepted),” Hontiveros said.

She said the Senate can still refine the proposal without losing sight of its purpose: giving authorities a timely legal shield for children against online exploitation and violent digital influence.

The bill remains under the period of amendments at the Senate.