MANILA -- Representatives of the women’s party-list group Gabriela filed on Tuesday a bill seeking to amend the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act to include the online exploitation of women.
Gabriela party-list Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus filed House Bill (HB) 6815, defining electronic violence against women (E-Vaw), providing protective measures and prescribing penalties therefore.
In the proposed bill, E-Vaw is defined as “any act or omission that involves the use or exploitation of information and communications technology (ICT) that causes or likely to cause mental, emotional or psychological distress or suffering to the victim."
It includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Unauthorized recording, reproduction or distribution of video/s showing the victim’s private area or the victim’s naked or undergarment clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks or breasts;
2. Uploading or sharing without the consent of the victim, any media that contain pictures, voice or video with lewd, indecent or sexual content or context;
3. Harassing or threatening the victim;
4. Stalking; and
5. Using the victim’s picture, video, voice, name or any other aspect of the victim’s identity in any video game, phone application, program and the likes, which puts or tends to put the victim in a bad light.
Ilagan and De Jesus cited the two video scandals involving actresses Katrina Halili and Rhian Ramos, which, according to the proposal, shall be punished by prision correccional.
The lawmakers also propose the grant of E-Vaw protection orders to victims of online violence.
“E-Vaw protection orders shall be issued by the courts independently of or in addition to non E-Vaw protection order/s. However, an E-Vaw protection order, once issued, does not expire and continues to take effect while the case is pending and until the same is revoked by the order of the court,” the proposal stated.
The present 15th Congress, however, has only nine session days top tackle pending bills and resolutions before it adjourns to give way for the campaign period for the 2013 midterm elections. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)