Platforms operating in the Philippines would have to appoint local legal representatives and adopt age verification under the Batang Ligtas Act, which the Senate approved in reconciled form on September 30, INQUIRER.net reported.
The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report reconciling Senate Bill No. 1819 and House Bill No. 9461. The bill covers online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and the recruitment of minors into violent activities.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, authored and sponsored the Senate version.
The local representatives would receive subpoenas, takedown requests, and blocking orders. Platforms would also have to cooperate with investigations, preserve relevant information, and adopt “safety by design” measures, including proactive blocking of child sexual abuse material.
The bill would create an offense for recruiting or inducing a minor into violent activity, including nihilistic violent extremism. Hontiveros said the offense is complete once the recruitment or inducement happens with the required intent, even if the child never joins or no violence takes place.
Trained officers could run undercover online operations, subject to warrant requirements and safeguards against police instigation.
The bill would make the National Child Safety Office a permanent body and the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center a permanent unit with personnel from the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation.
The Senate passed its version 17-0 on September 21. The measure still needs to complete the remaining steps before becoming law.
Other child-safety bills advance in Congress
The Senate also approved Senate Bill No. 2424, the proposed Child Online Safety and Protection Act, on second reading the same day, according to the Senate.
The vote followed extensive debate on the impact of social media and generative artificial intelligence (AI).
In the House, the Committee on Appropriations approved the funding provisions of a substitute bill on children’s protection on social media and online gaming platforms, according to a House press release.
The bill would create an office within the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to set safety standards and regulatory measures.
The substitute consolidates 42 House bills, including House Bill No. 9965, the proposed Children’s Social Media Safety Act. It follows DICT’s restoration of Discord and Reddit access after both platforms agreed to child-safety commitments, and comes alongside House Bill 4786, which would require covered social platforms to obtain franchises and set up local entities.