gabriela solons seek to penalize, increase awareness, vigilance and responsible internet use against internet scandals, E-VAW

Gabriela Women's Party Representatives Luz Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus expressed today their concern over the proliferation of internet scandals and E-VAW or Electronic Violence Against Women. The partylist solons gave their commitment to push for legislation that will penalize E-VAW perpetrators and called for vigilant and responsible internet use.

"Violence against women, prostitution and pornography have all gone high tech. These days women are being raped, gang-raped, harassed, prostituted and violated with just a click of the mouse. The proliferation of scandals that shame and destroy the lives and reputation of women is alarming and it should stop," said Ilagan.

Ilagan and De Jesus said they were both shocked that hundreds of thousands of links to websites containing pornography and prostitution, cyber-sex and scandal videos would turn up when the word "scandal" is searched in Google.

"The trauma of being raped is multiplied every time the act is viewed online," explained De Jesus.

The Gabriela solons have recently filed amendments to the Anti-Rape Law to include as among the crime's aggravating circumstances, the act of media recording and dissemination of the act of rape.

"We hope that our proposed amendments to the Anti-Rape Law are immediately heard and approved. The law needs to be improved to make it more responsive to the various ways that women are violated abused in the age of internet and cyber technology. We are also studying the possibility of filing another bill that will separately address the issue of EVAW," said Ilagan.

For her part, De Jesus called for vigilance and responsible internet use. "Let us be careful with what we post, what we click and what we like. Let us be careful not to contribute to the perpetuation and proliferation of violence against women."