Press Release
June 4, 2009

REVILLA INCREASES PENALTY OF ANTI-BOSO BILL

Taking into account the alarming proliferation of pornography in various medium of communication, Senator Bong Revilla pushed for stiffer penalties in the Anti-Voyeurism Bill which was passed by the Senate on second reading last Wednesday (3 June 2009).

During his interpellation of Senator Chiz Escudero, the sponsor of the bill, Revilla recommended that the proposed one to five years imprisonment be changed to six to ten years to further strengthen the penalty provision of the said legislative measure, an amendment Escudero acceded to. Revilla, a co-author of the bill, also introduced an amendment to increase the fines ranging from ten thousand pesos to fifty thousand pesos to a range of one hundred thousand pesos to five hundred thousand pesos, which was approved.

He pointed out that heavier penalties should be imposed on voyeurs and sex video distributors to prove that the government is serious in curbing pornography.

"The rampant circulation of sex scandal videos and other forms of pornography is truly disturbing because our youth have easy access to these materials, worsened by the humiliation victims endure after the circulation of their images, particularly the women who were videotaped or photographed without their consent," Revilla said.

Under the Anti-Voyeurism Bill, principally authored by Escudero and Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Pia Cayetano, it shall be unlawful to capture an image of a private area of an individual or any private act without his/her consent and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. It shall also unlawful to capture an image of a private area of an individual or any private act with his/her consent but broadcasts the said image without the written permission or consent of said individual.

The issue of sex videos caught national attention after Revilla's privilege speech where he vehemently denounced celebrity doctor Hayden Kho for deceptively videotaping his intimate private activity with actress Katrina Halili. He urged the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to take action in revoking the medical license of Kho and ban him from the practice of medicine perpetually.

Revilla's privilege speech prompted the Senate to hold a pubic hearing on the matter and concerned government agencies to take actions on the growing proliferation of cyber pornography in the country.

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