Two priority measures of the Legislative‑Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) were unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, June 2, underscoring their importance to national policy.
Lawmakers passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 9461, the proposed Child Online Safety and Protection Act of 2026, and HB No. 9397, the proposed Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2026.
Both measures garnered 284 affirmative votes, with no negative votes or abstentions.
HB 9461 seeks to expand existing protections against online child sexual abuse and exploitation by addressing emerging threats such as AI‑generated content and deepfakes.
It criminalizes a wider range of online offenses — including grooming, sexual extortion, and livestreamed exploitation — and imposes harsher penalties, including life imprisonment and multimillion‑peso fines for those convicted of producing or distributing exploitative materials.
The bill also strengthens enforcement powers, mandates proactive responsibilities for internet service providers and digital platforms and creates a National Council for Child Online Safety and Protection under the Department of Justice.
HB 9397, meanwhile, aims to transform the constitutional right to information into an enforceable statutory right.
It would require government agencies to proactively disclose records of public interest, including budgets, contracts, audit findings, and expenditures.
The measure also calls for the creation of an independent Right to Information Commission to oversee compliance, investigate violations, and enforce transparency across all branches of government.
A centralized Online RTI Portal would allow citizens to file and track requests electronically, while agencies would be mandated to designate dedicated officers to handle information requests.
Together, the two measures reflect Congress’ push to strengthen child protection in the digital age and institutionalize transparency and accountability in governance. (Ellson Quismorio)
