IACAT tapped to go after child sex rings

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday ordered the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to intensify its efforts and increase coordination with concerned government agencies and the private sector to go after child pornography rings in the country.

Binay, IACAT’s chairman emeritus, said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) would also be tapped in the campaign.

“We are looking to tap the government’s regulatory body on telecommunications as these child pornography groups operate primarily using the Internet,” he said.

Binay said IACAT would welcome the help of telcos and Internet service providers in tracking down sources of pornographic websites using children.

“Any data they can provide to us for authorities to be able to track down these porn syndicates faster would be most welcome,” he said.

Binay said the Virtual Global Task Force, a group of American, British and Australian law enforcers, recently identified the Philippines as among 10 countries with widespread online pornography that involved minors.

A data map provided by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection of the United Kingdom also showed on Google maps where child pornography in the Philippines was transmitted in 2012.

The report stated that most child pornographic materials, including photos, recorded videos and live-streamed videos, were transmitted from Metro Manila, Angeles City in Pampanga, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.

Binay said child pornography in the Philippines does not necessarily involve recruitment, as the perpetrators are usually the victim’s parents or kin.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of the US, on which the annual Global Trafficking in Persons Report (GTIP) is based, defines sex trafficking as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.”

Binay said cases have been filed against peddlers of child pornography since 2012.

He said Angeles City Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Angela Paras-Quiambao convicted Ruth de la Rosa of Qualified Trafficking in Persons last year for forcing her niece into prostitution. She also found Esmeraldo Tejero and Marilyn Valencia guilty of peddling several minor girls to both Filipino and foreign customers.

Binay lauded IACAT’s anti-human trafficking drive, saying the council’s efforts are being recognized abroad.

“There are a lot of officials who are praising us in our program against human trafficking. It remains to be a problem of course, but our efforts are being recognized,” he said.

In 2012, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the US State Department told Binay the Philippines could provide a model to help other Southeast Asian nations in combating human trafficking.

CdeBaca commended the Philippines’ human trafficking, which earned the country a Tier 2 status in the GTIP Report.

Countries in Tier 2 status do not meet the minimum requirements of the TVPA but are making significant efforts to do so.

Reconsider TRO – Angara

Meanwhile, former senator Edgardo Angara called on the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to reconsider its decision stopping the implementation of the anti-cyber crime law.

“This law would have stopped anti-social and criminal activities such as cyber bullying, cyber sex, identity theft and credit card fraud,” said Angara, the main proponent of the measure that was passed in September 2012.

He said cyber-related crimes would have been prevented or meted harsh punishment had some groups not intervened before the SC.

“Now, we have bigger problems on cyber bullying, hacking, identify theft and credit card fraud,” he said.

In a radio interview, Angara also expressed concern that the country has been tagged as among the top 10 hotspots for child cyber pornography.

He said the law could still be implemented even though the SC considers the controversial provisions such as libel and the take down clause on websites or the authority given to the Department of Justice to clamp down on websites they consider as anti-social or criminal as unconstitutional.

“Even if these three issues are declared invalid, (the provisions against) child pornography, cyber bullying, identify theft and the invasion of privacy will not be affected,” he said.

“The SC cannot leave it hanging because the problems on cybercrime, particularly child pornography, are getting worse everyday,” he added.

Fast-track decision

Sen. Nancy Binay also urged the SC to fast-track its ruling on the anti-cyber crime law even as she called on concerned government agencies, the private sector and parents to work together in the fight against human trafficking and other related crimes committed against women and children. – With Christina Mendez, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rainier Allan Ronda