Republic of the Philippines 1
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DRIES 0 AUG 2016

Quezon City be,

First Regular Session

PrASéR

HOUSE BILLNO, 2777

Introduced by REP. EVELINA G. ESCUDERO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill allows the parents, or the legal guardian of a minor, to sue any
person who knowingly sells or distributes a material deemed harmful to minors.
This will provide them the means to protect minors from harmful material and to
deter any unscrupulous person from engaging in a business of selling or distributing
products containing harmful material to minors from selling the same to minors.

Hence, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought

EVELINA G. ESCUDERO.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRI ITATIVES
Quezon City

NTEENTH CONGRESS
irst Regular Session

are?

HOUSE BILL, xk

Introduced by REP. EVELINA G, ESCUDERO.

AN ACT
TO PROVIDE A CIVIL ACTION FOR A MINOR INJURED BY EXPOSURE TO
AN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCT CONTAINING MATERIAL THAT 1S
HARMFUL TO MINORS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1, Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "Parents!
Empowerment Act"

SEC. 2. Civil Action For A Minor Injured By Exposure To An Entertainment
Product Containing Material That Is Harmful To Minors. - A minor, through a person
duly authorized to act on behalf of the minor may, in a civil action obtain relief
against any person, natural or juridical, who knowingly sells, shows or distributes an
entertainment product containing material that is harmful to minors, if:

(1) a reasonable person would expect a substantial number of minors to
be exposed to the material; and

(2) the minor as a result of exposure to that material is likely to suffer
personal or emotional injury or injury to mental or moral welfare

SEC. 3. Relief. - If the minor is the prevailing party:
(1) the minor shall recover compensatory damages of not less than
P10,000 for each instance of any such material in any such product to which

such minor was so exposed;

(2) the minor may recover exemplary damages;

(3) the court, in its discretion, may allow the minor a reasonable
's fee (including expert fees) as part of the costs; and

(4) the court may order any other appropriate relief.

SEC. 4. Affirmative Defense. - It is an affirmative defense to an action under this

1



section that a parent or guardian of the minor owned or possessed the entertainment
product containing the material to which the minor was exposed, and an act of that
parent or guardian was the proximate cause of the minor's exposure to that material.

SEC, 5. Definition of terms, -

1. "Entertainment Product" means a picture, photograph, image, graphic
image file, drawing, video game, motion picture film, or similar visual
representation or image, book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter, or sound
recording.

2. "Material that is harmful to minors" means any pornographic
communication, picture, image, graphic image file, article, recording, writing, or
other pornographic matter of any kind that is obscene or that, taken as a whole, lacks
serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value for minors sufficient to
overcome the pernicious effect of that material

3."Minor" means an individual under the age of 18.

SEC. 6. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provision or part of this Act
shall be declared unconstitutional by the courts, the remaining. provisions shall
remain valid and in full force and effect.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause, - All laws, orders, rules and regulations or part
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

SEC. 8. Date of Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of
general circulation whichever comes earlier

Approved,