LOREN TAKES STAND VS. ONLINE CHILD PORN

Sen. Loren Legarda has rallied efforts to combat online pornography involving children. In a meeting with youth, students and parents in Iloilo today, she urged all concerned agencies to beef up on efforts to protect minors from indecent and immoral materials transmitted through electronic mail and other means of computer technology. Legarda also urged law enforcers and her fellow legislators to penalize violators of such acts.

"We have been hounded by scandalous leaks of adult materials on the internet. We know for a fact that even our children are equally vulnerable to such; and we know it has been happening to many children in Asia," Legarda warned.

Legarda was quick to acknowledge that although the role of information technology is a vital element of children's education and information source, parents and teachers must be vigilant about children's access to online content. She further lamented that "it is such a disgrace that a predominantly religious country such as ours can not curb this issue, despite our subscription to many international treaties in protecting children. This is a moral issue not only to our own children; it reflects our dignity as a people to the rest of the world."

Citing example of the US, where possession of pornographic images of children can get life imprisonment, Legarda urged the public to be vigilant of foreign and local tourists who patronize sex clubs and abusing children. "This is a gap of law enforcement," she stressed, adding that anyone who witness such incidents must alert the local authorities or the Commission on Human Rights.

"Everything and everyone are within reach with a click of a mouse button. Let's not allow that the next victims be our own children," Legarda concluded.