ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | October 14, 2023
Dear Chief Acosta,
Ang aking anak na 14 taong gulang ay nahuli kong mayroong karelasyon na mas nakatatandang lalaki mula sa kanilang eskwelahan. Nalaman ko ang kanilang ugnayan sapagkat ginagamit ng aking anak ang aking cellphone upang doon mag-Messenger sa kanyang kasintahan. Nang minsan ay hindi na-logout ng aking anak ang kanyang Messenger at nabasa ko ang mga mensahe ng aking anak sa nasabing lalaki kung saan ito ay nanghihingi sa aking anak ng mga hubad na larawan. Maaari ko bang kasuhan ang nasabing lalaki sa ginagawa niyang pag-e-exploit sa aking anak? - Juana
Dear Juana,
Ang iyong katanungan ay sinagot ng Korte Suprema sa kasong Christian Cadajas y Cabias v. People of the Philippines (G.R. No. 247348, 16 November 2021, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez). Sang-ayon sa Korte Suprema, ito ay maaaring ikonsiderang paglabag sa Section 4(c)(2) ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10175 o Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, kaugnay sa Sections 4(a), 3(b), at (c)5 ng R.A. No. 9775 o Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009:
“Petitioner was charged for violating Section 4(c)(2) of R.A. No. 10175 in relation to Sections 4(a) and 3(b) and (c)(5) of R.A. No. 9775 which reads as follows:
Section 4. Cybercrime Offenses. — The following acts constitute the offense of cybercrime punishable under this Act:
(c) Content-related Offenses:
(2) Child Pornography. — The unlawful or prohibited acts defined and punishable by Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, committed through a computer system: Provided, That the penalty to be imposed shall be (1) one degree higher than that provided for in Republic Act No. 9775.
Section 4. Unlawful or Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person:
(a) To hire, employ, use, persuade, induce or coerce a child to perform in the creation or production of any form of child pornography.
Section 3. Definition of Terms.
(b) “Child pornography” refers to any representation, whether visual, audio, or written combination thereof, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or any other means, of child engaged or involved in real or simulated explicit sexual activities.
(c) “Explicit Sexual Activity” includes actual or simulated.
(5) lascivious exhibition of the genitals, buttocks, breasts, pubic area and/or anus.
Thus, contrary to petitioner’s contention, his act of inducing AAA to send photos of her breasts and vagina constitutes child pornography and explicit sexual activity under Sections 4(a), 3(b) and (c)(5) of R.A. No. 9775. While there was no showing that petitioner intended to sell AAA's photos to other people, this did not exonerate him from liability under the said provision.
During the Pre-Bicameral Conference Committee meeting that led to the enactment of R.A. No. 9775 the members of the Technical Working Group made a distinction between the act of merely possessing child pornography materials from the act of making a profit out of it, to wit:
It can be gleaned from the lengthy discussion of the members of the Technical Working Group that the authors of this statute intended to penalize even the mere possession, for personal use or enjoyment, of child pornography. The law, as enacted, considers possession with intent to sell, distribute, or publish58 to be distinct and separate from mere possession.59 If proven, a stiffer penalty would be imposed on those who were found to have intended to distribute or profit from child pornography.”
Sang-ayon sa Korte Suprema, ang nasabing paghingi ng mga hubad na larawan mula sa iyong menor-de-edad na anak ay makokonsiderang paglabag sa Cybercrime Prevention Act (R.A. No. 10175) at ng Anti-Child Pornography Act (R.A. No. 9775). Sang-ayon din sa nasabing desisyon, ang mga sumusunod na elemento ang kinakailangan mapatunayan:
“From the foregoing, one can be convicted for committing child pornography upon proof of the following: (1) victim is a child; (2) victim was induced or coerced to perform in the creation or production of any form of child pornography; and (3) child pornography was performed through visual, audio or written combination thereof by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or any other means. This Court finds that the prosecution was able to prove these facts by proof beyond reasonable doubt.”
Gaya sa iyong kaso, ang anak mo ay menor-de-edad. Siya ay inudyok na magpadala ng mga hubad na larawan, at ang paggawa o pagpapadala ng hubad na mga larawan ay ginawa sa pamamagitan ng biswal na larawan na ipinadala sa pamamagitan ng Messenger. Dahil dito, maaari mong kasuhan ang nasabing lalaki ng paglabag ng R.A. No. 10175 o Cybercrime Prevention Act kaugnay ng R.A. No. 9775 o Anti-Child Pornography Act.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.
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