House panel approves stiffer penalties for child abuse
THE House committee on welfare of children this week approved a substitute bill which imposes stiffer penalties for child abuse.
The substitute bill seeks to amend Section 9 of RA 7610 as amended by Republic Act No. 9231, also known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination.”
Under the bill, the penalty of reclusion temporal or imprisonment of up to 12 years, in its medium period, shall be imposed to any person who shall hire, employ, use, persuade, induce or coerce a child to perform in obscene exhibitions and indecent shows, pose or model in obscene publications or to sell or distribute the said material s.
If the subject child is below 12, the penalty against those who will violate the said provision shall be reclusion perpetua or from 20 up to 40 years imprisonment.
The penalty of reclusion temporal in its maximum period or 12 years imprisonment shall be imposed upon the guardian of the child who has allowed the child to participate in any acts covered in this measur e.
Moreover, the penalty of reclusion temporal in its medium period and a fine of not less than P500,000 shall be imposed upon any person who shall have in his company a minor, 12 years or under or who is 10 years or more younger than his age in any public or private place such as: hotel, motel, cabaret, sauna or massage parlor, tourist resort or other similar places.
The person who will deliver the minor shall likewise suffer the penalty of prision mayor or 10 years imprisonment and will pay a fine of not less than P400,000. If the perpetarator is the child’s guardian, he will pay a fine of not less than than P500,000. He or she will also lose the parental authority over the minor.
The offender will be required to undergo a re-education and re-orientation program on child protection to be conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Under the bill, the owner of the establishment who allows any person to take along with him a minor shall suffer the penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of P500,000 and the loss of license to operate such establishment.
The bill imposes the penalty of 20 up to 40 years imprisonment to any person who shall use, coerce, force, or intimidate a street child or any other child to conduct any illegal activities.
The bill also penalizes all who will violate Section 12 of RA 7610 states that “children below 15 years of age may be employed except when a child works directly under the sole responsibility of his parents or legal guardian and where only members of the employer’s family are employed."
Those will violate the said provision will face imprisonment of one year and one day to six years or a fine of P100,000 to P400,00, or both.
The bill is authored by Bataan District Rep. Geraldine Roman, 1 Pacman Party-list Rep. Michael Odylon Romero, Bulacan Rep. Jose Antonio SyAlvarado and Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Wilter Wee Palma II, among others. (Keith A. Calayag/ SunStar Philippines)