Bill vs 'hentai' close to becoming law in RP

MANILA, Philippines - Hentai, a sexually explicit or pornographic form of comics or animation, may soon be outlawed in the Philippines once a bill in the House of Representatives is passed into law. The bill, which generally bans child pornography including in cartoon form, has been approved at the level of the Joint House Committees on Justice and Welfare of Children chaired by Reps. Matias Defensor (Quezon City) and Monica Teodoro (Tarlac). “It can be in forms of visual depiction, audio representation and written text or materials that advocate explicit sexual activity with a child," Teodoro said in an article on the House of Representatives Web site. Teodoro said the bill penalizes the offenders who sell, offer, advertise, and promote child pornography. It also covers those found to possess, download, purchase, reproduce, or make available child pornography materials with the intent of selling or distributing them. She said child pornography material refers to the means and methods in which a child carries out pornography. According to her, images of real and indistinguishable children in films, digital images or computer images, whether made or produced electronically or mechanically; drawings, cartoons, sculptures or paintings depicting children in an explicit sexual activity are just some of the visual depictions considered as child pornography materials. Thus, she said there is a need for a legislative measure to address this disturbing social phenomena considering that the provisions of RA7160 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act are mainly related to child prostitution and do not provide adequate protection to victims of other forms of sexual exploitation particularly child pornography. Under the bill, child pornography refers to any representation of a child below 18 years of age, engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child primarily for sexual purposes. The bill provides that the mere possession of drawings, cartoons, digital images, computer-generated images, even if it is indistinguishable from that of real children engaging in an explicit sexual activity, may be penalized with 6 to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of up to P500,000. - GMANews.TV