Under-16 social media ban bucked

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of a total ban, regulation would be the solution to incidents of violence involving children, according to Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo.

At yesterday’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Romulo opposed bills banning minors below age 16 from accessing social media platforms.

“We know that it is difficult to ban because you can’t monitor children at home,” Romulo said. “Let’s give parents responsibility when they are at home. They need to have monitoring. How to do it, we need to discuss that carefully.”

Romulo will head the technical working group tackling the proposed measures.

“Next week, we will continue hearings on the social media ban for 18 and below. Right now, there is an urgency that we need to move quickly and pass something that is responsive to the needs and challenges of children,” Romulo said.

Congress needs to discuss the possible culpability of parents, he noted.