Anti-Online, Child Sexual Abuse proposed ordinance up for approval

In its joint meeting two days ago, the City Council Committees on Social Services, on Public Order and Safety, and on Sports and Youth Development, respectively chaired by Councilors Joyleen Mercedes L. Balaba, Romeo V. Calizo and Kenneth John D. Sacala, endorsed for approval the proposed ordinance aimed at combatting Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and the Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Material (CSAEM) in Cagayan de Oro City.

Authored by Councilor Balaba, the ordinance seeks to enhance local governance, strengthen child protection against the ill effects and the dangers of unsafe internet use, and prevent online abuse and sexual exploitation in line with RA 11930, RA 7610, and other related laws of the country.

The ordinance covers all households, internet-allied business establishments, private business establishments, government agencies, and its facilities within the city’s jurisdiction.

It defines a “child” as anyone below eighteen (18) years of age or over but is unable to fully take care of themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition. The definition also includes computer-generated, digitally or manually crafted images or graphics of a person represented or made to appear as a child.

OSAEC refers to the usage of digital or analog communication and ICT as means to abuse and exploit children sexually, which includes offline and online child exploitation.

CSAEM, on the other hand, refers to any representation by, through or with the use of ICT, by means of visual, video, audio, written, or any combination thereof, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or any other means related or similar from the foregoing, of a child engaged or involved in real or simulated sexual activities, or depicting acts of sexual abuse or exploitation of a child as a sexual object, The Gavel learned.