House wants to ban pornographic cartoon
12 April 2009 10:30:30 AM
Writer: J. Camero / I. Yambot Jr., MRS-PRIB

Hentai, the Japanese pornographic cartoon that depicts children in explicit sexual activity, is considered child pornography material and one may be severely penalized by just mere possession of it.

A bill banning this pornographic cartoon was approved recently by the Joint House Committees on Justice and Welfare of Children chaired by Rep. Matias Defensor (3rd District, Quezon City) and Rep. Monica Prieto-Teodoro (1st District, Tarlac), respectively.

Prieto-Teodoro, one of the authors of the measure, said the bill penalizes the offenders who sell, offer, advertise, and promote child pornography; and have been found to possess, download, purchase, reproduce, or make available child pornography materials with the intent of selling or distributing them.

Prieto-Teodoro said child pornography material refers to the means and methods in which a child carries out pornography.

"It can be in forms of visual depiction, audio representation and written text or materials that advocate explicit sexual activity with a child," Prieto-Teodoro said.

She explained that the said images of real and indistinguishable children in films, digital images or computer images, whether made or produced electronically or mechanically; drawings, cartoons, sculptures or paintings depicting children in an explicit sexual activity are just some of the visual depictions considered as child pornography materials.

Prieto-Teodoro said there is a need for a legislative measure to address this disturbing social phenomena considering that the provisions of RA7160 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act are mainly related to child prostitution and do not provide adequate protection to victims of other forms of sexual exploitation particularly child pornography.

Rep. Darlene R. Antonino-Custodio (1st District, South Cotabato) another author of the bill to be known as the "Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009", said the Internet which is used for gaining knowledge is being used by some as a medium to gratify sexual desire.

"Once the picture of child victim is flashed either on the Internet or video clip, the picture is open for the entire world to see. The child loses his or her privacy and innocence which can never be restored," Antonino-Custodio said.

"Adults indulging in child pornography either by purchasing, viewing or producing them, should be subjected to the most severe punishments,"Antonino-Custodio said.

Under the bill, child pornography refers to any representation of a child below 18 years of age, engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child primarily for sexual purposes.

The bill provides that the mere possession of drawings, cartoons, digital images, computer-generated images -- even if it is indistinguishable from that of real children engaging in an explicit sexual activity – may be penalized with 6 to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than P500,000.

The measure also imposes 12 to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than P2 million to violators who have been found guilty of committing unlawful acts such as hiring, employing, using, persuading, inducing, or coercing a child to perform in the production of child pornography, including its production people.

Other authors of the bill are Reps. Rene M. Velarde (Party-List, BUHAY), Ignacio T. Arroyo (5th District, Negros Occidental), Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro), Narciso D. Santiago III (Party-List, Alliance for Rural Concerns), Matias V. Defensor (2nd District, Quezon City), Jr., Lorenzo Tanada III (4th District, Quezon), Edgardo M. Chatto (1st District, Bohol) and Luzviminda C. Ilagan (Party-List, Gabriela).