That child pornography has invaded the Philippines was confirmed in the pirated materials seized by the numerous raids conducted by operatives of the Optical Media Board (OMB) under the leadership of its chairman and chief executive officer, Edu Manzano. The raids have resulted in the seizure of a huge amount of child pornographic materials, aside from hundreds of thousands of fake and pirated CDs, VCDs and DVDs, replicating machines and other equipment used in the illegal trade of optical media products.

Child pornography items made up 25 percent of the VCDs and DVDs that the OMB confiscated last year!

For more than a year now, Manzano has waged a private battle against child pornography. This started after Edu got the shock of his life when he discovered that the smut materials they seized contained graphic images of girls as young as three years old being subjected to sexual abuse. The victims included many young Filipino children, with the cover jacket of one such material showing 10 of them in a "firing squad" lineup, all in their innocent, un-glorious nakedness.

What frustrates Manzano in his crusade is the absence of a provision in the Optical Media Act of 2003 (R.A. 9239) that would penalize owners of malls and similar establishments where these illegal materials are being openly sold. Only the retailers caught actually carrying and selling these goods can be legally charged. But, Edu points out: "Retailers won’t have an outlet for their wares if the mall owners are also made liable."

While fighting pornography is not included in the mandate of the OMB, this has not prevented Manzano and other officials of the agency from taking steps to curb the spread of child pornography. Acting in their private capacity as concerned citizens, Manzano, together with OMB lawyers Resty Meneses and Cyrus Valenzuela, filed charges against people engaged in the nefarious business.

In order to vest their group with a legal personality and strengthen their efforts in battling this menace, Manzano, his associates, and supporters of the campaign formally organized the Anti-Child Abuse and Pornography (ACAP) Foundation, Inc. ACAP is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

ACAP was formally launched this week. A power point presentation showed photos of the child victims in various scenes of sexual abuse. The launch was followed by a press conference attended by print and broadcast media people. ACAP is in the process of drafting a comprehensive plan of action which will be the basis of its sustained campaign against child pornography.

Even before this however, the OMB chief has been engaged in a flurry of activities, spending his own money for the purpose. On the last Sunday of August, he was guest speaker in a meeting of a multi-sectoral group attended by more 1,000 people composed of civic and religious leaders, city officials and barangay folks, as well as political leaders of San Pablo, Laguna that included Congresswoman Maria Evita Arago who committed a donation of P100,000 for ACAP’s anti-pornography drive.

Rep. Arago’s P100,000 donation will go a long way in prosecuting their campaign. Said Manzano: "I appreciate very much Congresswoman Arago’s help and I would like to appeal for similar gestures from those who have the resources to assist us in this endeavor. We have instituted a system of giving reward money for those who can give us information about child pornography, and for which we have made available two phone numbers as our hotlines through which informants can get in touch with us."

The OMB boss also spoke on the subject before the Rotary Club of Makati Central upon the invitation of its president, CPA-lawyer and former Camarines Sur congressman Leopoldo San Buenaventura. His talk and power point presentation generated a lively discussion of the topic. Inc. Earlier, Manzano also spearheaded a shame campaign against sellers and distributors of these smut materials. There was also a "unity walk" against child pornography.

The anti-child pornography campaign has drawn the support of various groups and individuals from the government and the private sector. Among them are the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) represented by Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, Caritas Manila, the Council for the Welfare of Children, the Philippine Women’s University, El Shaddai, Ang Tamang Daan, and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). From the House of Representatives, Reps. Bienvenido Abante of Manila and Del de Guzman of Marikina .

What Manzano finds infuriating is that there are parents who push their children to participate in this immoral practice. Parents allow their own children’s exploitation. and encourage them to be exploited.

Unbelievable? Consider that some years ago, several children in Pagsanjan, Laguna were found to be catering to the prurient interests of foreign pedophiles. Pagsanjan was a popular tourist spot and the findings about the pedophiles resulted in the removal of the town from the Department of Tourism’s list of recommended tourist destinations.

Manzano is appealing for the amendment of the Optical Media Act to include a provision that would penalize mall owners who allow their establishments to be used as outlets for these materials. He is also asking lawmakers to find ways that would somehow regulate the use of the internet as a medium for the transmission of pornography. The internet, Manzano said, is now also an instrument that makes the piracy of films and musical work much easier.

Manzano does not discount the possibility that profits from the production and sale of pirated optical media products are being used by terrorist and other lawless elements. This, indeed, could constitute a security threat for the country considering that in just one of its latest operation, the OMB confiscated pirated products worth more than P144 million. This was just in one location. Child pornography alone, Manzano says, rakes in an estimated $4.6 billion a year worldwide.

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On Wednesday Sept. 24 the Philippine Navy Golf Course Senior chapter will host the 4th Leg of the San Mig Sugar Free Senior Golf Tour of the Federation of Amateur Philippine Golfers, Inc. at the PNGC in Fort Bonifacio. This is exclusive to FPASGI members.