OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, CHILDREN, FAMILY RELATIONS AND GENDER EQUALITY
HEARING ON OSAEC AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
March 09, 2021

Good morning, resource persons and friends. We continue the second hearing on the bills on online sexual exploitation of children and anti-trafficking in persons.

Kahapon po ay ginunita natin ang International Women's Day, isang pandaigdigang araw para kilalalanin ang naging ambag ng kababaihan sa paghabi ng pagbabago para sa ating lipunan at sa ating mundo. Ngunit ito ay mahalagang araw din para harapin ang katotohanan na ang violence, sexual exploitation at abuse ay bahagi ng buhay ng mga kabataan.

Oppressors of women and children now have access to new technologies and new platforms to perpetrate abuse. The technologies to abuse women and children have developed at breakneck speed, at kahit na ang teknolohiyang ito ay intended na maging mas connected tayo sa isa't isa at mas mapabilis ang mga gawain, nahahanapan ng mga masasamang loob ng paraan para gamitin sa masama. Kamakailan ko lang nabalitaan na pati ang disappearing message function sa mga chat ginagamit na para magpalitan ng mga nude pics. Disappearing para may teaser, tapos kung magbabayad, makukuha mo na yung file.

Friends, we are currently in the process of fine-tuning both the anti-trafficking in persons bill and the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The discussions on these bills are making substantial progress and I am hoping to be able to sponsor it in plenary before Congress adjourns.

The TWG process is underway and this is the process to really look into the more legal and technical aspects of the measures, including the question on whether or not we will report out two separate bills or one consolidated measure.

But in crafting these bills and their technical features, it is important not to lose sight of the big picture. Bakit natin ito ginagawa? Para kanino natin ito ginagawa? I would like us to really get a sense of the problem and hear from those who have experienced it themselves.

Paano ba talaga ito nangyayari? What are the different ways that online sexual abuse and exploitation of children happens? How do the offender and the victim-survivor make initial contact? What are the roles of the family and the community? What strategies and methods do the perpetrators employ para hindi sila mahuli? What are the difficulties in prosecution? How can we help our law enforcement to go after these offenders? How can we protect those who suffered this experience in the immediate, medium and long-term?

And perhaps, also important in purposes of legislation, what are the gaps in our laws that require changes in legislation.

Ito po mga kaibigan, ang mga gabay na tanong natin sa hearing ngayong umaga.