CBCP, OMB Renew Fight vs Child-Porn

MANILA, July 9, 2010- With the anti-child pornography law taking effect next week, the Catholic hierarchy is hoping for strengthened fight against the "alarming" problem.

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media office director of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said the church has been building momentum with its anti-child porn campaign.

The agency in 2007 tied-up with the Optical Media Board (OMB) to help the government stamp out child pornography through the instrumentality of an "ad hoc committee" headed by Ambassador Henrietta de Villa.

"We will be doing some strategies. If the law would finally take effect, the church and the OMB will again help each other. I see the church more involved here," Quitorio said.

"It is destroying the children. This is worse than sex education. If the church is against improper sex education, the more in this issue which is creeping in from other countries to the Philippines," he said.

Two weeks ago, the government came out with the implementing rules and regulations of the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 paving way for its implementation after 15 days or on July 13.

On Thursday, actor and OMB chairman Ronnie Ricketts met with Quitorio at the CBCP head office in Intramuros, Manila to discuss ways on how to be effective on campaigns against the evils of child pornography.

The CBCP official said they are offering their help to the OMB by engaging in the information dissemination drive as well as in berating non-performing government agencies.

"We will help to disseminate information and we will keep an eye on government agencies which are not doing their jobs well... the church doesn't have police powers, only moral power," said Quitorio.

Ricketts said the CBCP's help would definitely boost their campaign since it would prove how serious they are in fighting child pornography.

"It's good when you group behind like the CBCP who is also very concerned about this campaign... the people will realize that this campaign is really serious because the church is involved," Ricketts told reporters after his meeting with Quitorio.

The anti-child pornography law, also known as RA 9775, defines child pornography as "any representation, be it visual, audio or written, combination thereof, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or other means, of a child engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities."

Any person who produces, distributes, publishes and commits other related acts would be subjected to penalties ranging from fines between P50,000 to P5 million as well as to a possible life imprisonment. (CBCPNews)