Hontiveros pushes bill expanding online child protection amid NVE threat

Senator Risa Hontiveros is pushing for the immediate passage of a measure expanding protections for children against technology-facilitated violence, including threats beyond online sexual abuse and exploitation.

Hontiveros said the proposed Child Online Safety and Protection Act, an expanded version of the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) law, should be certified as urgent as authorities confront the emerging threat of nihilistic violent extremism (NVE).

“This bill should be certified as urgent. NVE is an alarming new trend that needs immediate action,” Hontiveros said.

“Passing the amended Anti-OSAEC bill would give law enforcement agencies the tools to apprehend suspects and perpetrators. Huwag na nating hintayin na dumami pa ang school shooting bago umaksyon,” she added.

(Let us not wait for more school shootings before taking action.)

The measure is currently under period of amendments in the Senate while its counterpart bill in the House of Representatives has been approved on third and final reading, according to Hontiveros.

She made the call while presiding over a Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality hearing on NVE, following recent school shooting incidents involving minors.

Hontiveros said the Senate has an opportunity to address gaps that allow digital platforms to be used to groom and radicalize children and potentially steer them toward violence.

She acknowledged that OSAEC and NVE are distinct threats, but said they can exploit similar digital platforms and gaps in early detection and child protection.

Under the proposed measure, technology-facilitated violence against children would be addressed beyond sexual abuse and exploitation.

“We authored the Anti-OSAEC law to shield our children from different forms of online abuse and exploitation. Ngayong may panibagong banta laban sa kanila, tungkulin nating tugunan ito nang walang pag-aalinlangan,” Hontiveros said.

(Now that there is a new threat against them, it is our duty to address it without hesitation.) —AOL, GMA News