Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 14g

Introduced by
REP. ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party),
REP. FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist), REP. SARAH JANE |. ELAGO (Kabataan Partylist),

REPS. EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT, CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and FERDINAND R. GAITE (Bayan Muna)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Mejority of prostituted Filpino women, who are mostly less than 20 years of age, originate from the
provinces, and are from poor famies. A large number of them are Ikely to be sexually abused several times
during raids on suspected prostitution dens. Prostituted women are arrested, jailed, and fined for prostitution. On
the other hand, owners and managers of estabishments as well as their customers are left off the hook.

Prosttuted women and prostitution are commonly viewed in the Phifppines as one and the same.
They are commonly considered as. social problems, causing damage to society's moralty and decency. Due to
this, prostitutes are the most prominent and convenient targets of moral outrage and condemnation. The government
even uses legal sanctions to “flush them out’, for they are seen as the ultimate “evil expression of
prostitution. Thus, when prostitution is mentioned, the focus is immediate on women and children who
personally provide sexual services; the assumption is that women in prostitution "seduce" men and thus
represent or personify the root of the problem. This view reveals no understanding of prostitution as @ system
and of prostitutes as individuals caught up in and victimized by that system.

The common understanding of prostitution is that i imvohes the sale of sexual services by women and
children. This does not however, consider that in prostitution, the major players are mostly men whib women
and children assume the functional rok of objects of delvery of sexual services and that there is intended
profits. Prostitution is a system whereby women's and chitren's bodies and their sexuality ere commodified
and exphoited to satisfy men’s sexual needs.

Society sees children in prostitution as victims and quickly condemns those who victimize them,
However, it does not have the same view of prostituted women. It main sees adult women as free
autonomous persons, who enter into individual and private transactions with their customers. It automatically
assumes that an adult woman is on equal footing with the other party invoNed in the transaction and therefore
free to set the conditions of that transaction — not taking into consideration that there is always power play, with
currency as the major determinant. The unfortunate error behind this view is that t detaches prostitution from the
context of capitalst economic relation and the prevaiing patriarchal ideobgy. Both see women's bodies as
objects and their sexuality obtainable, buyabb and given to abuse by men. On the other hand, men are
allowed to escape responsibilty for using women in prostitution

Prostitution should be Ikened to the system of slavery. Therefore, those in slave-lke situations should
not be criminalzed based on age ot “choice”. This adult child divide becomes particularly anomalous in
cases of women brought into prostitution as children

Prostitution has become a highly organized business with its own system of recruitment and trade
Which ensures the systematic and unhampered flow of products and profits. Its entrepreneurs, through


pomography, offer women and children to the mal market and create a continuous demand for sexual
services,

The promotion of tourism with sex as an essential feature perpetuates prostitution. The
promotion by government of overseas jobs as a viable option for Filipino workers also creates a
favorable climate for prostitution. It provides a fertile ground for ilegal and deceptive recruiters inthe migration
process

Existing Philippine laws do not define ‘prostitution’, only ‘prostitutes’. Article 202 (6) of the
Revised Penal Code identifies "prostitutes" as ‘women who, for money or profit, habitually indulge in sexual
intercourse or lascivious conduct." BEING A PROSTITUTE ISA CRIME UNDER THE REVISED PENAL
CODE. Article 202 also holds criminally lable “any idle or dissoite person who bdges in houses of ilMame,
ruffians, or pimps or those who habitually associate with prostitutes." But men who goto cbs, bars and other
similar estabfshments hardly quaify as “idl” or "dissolute"

Other than Article 202, the other provision that deals directly with prostitution is Article 341 of the
Revised Penal Code on white slavery, it penalizes “any person who, in a manner, or under any pretext, shall
engage in the business or shall profit by prostitution or shall enlist the services of any other person for the
purpose of prostitution." The realty, however, is while society penalizes, stigmatizes, and ostracizes women in
prostitution; it never even questions why men demand and pay for sex. In addition, the criminal liability of
individuals engaged in the business of prostitution under Article 341 of the Revised Penal Code is hardly
enforced. Thus, businesses related to prostitutioncontinue tothrive.

Prostitution is @ serious form of human rights violation. Women in prostitution do not profit from
prostitution. Even with the bong hours of providing sexual service and the number of men they service, their
earnings are meager. A big percentage of their eamings go to bar owners and pimps

Women in prostitution are alone, unprotected and not respected. They are stigmatized by society,
ctiminaized by the law and are exploited in the sex trade. They are in constant fear. They experience abuse
and violence from their customers, bars and club owners and pimps. Women in prostitution are
vulnerable to the risks of diseases such as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. In fact,
fear of such diseases is one factor why men give high premiere to young and ‘fresh’ prostituted children
and women. They suffer from extreme discrimination and are considered unworthy and undeserving of
respect, care and any form of social assistance and legal protection. Basic rights are denied to them and
Worse are oftentimes violated by he police and the bgal system,

Women in prostitution are powerless. In most cases, prostitutes are not involved in the transaction.
It is often between @ pimp, club or brothel owner, and the customer, the prostitute only becomes part of the
transaction only because she will implement the terms of the transaction: providing the sexual service
demanded by the customer. In some cases, payment is given to the pimp. In most cases, the pimp cheats the
prostitute of the actual monetary value that she was promised

Prostitution must be approached jn its entirety. Both the structural mechanism and ideological
Justification which uphold it must be addressed. The government should first and foremost address the factors
in general that perpetuate prostitution and ensure an environment that will eradicate prostitution in the long
term. Inthe meantime, it must address the contradiction in polcies which, in effect, reinforce the system of
prostitution The adut-child divide must be removed and women and chikiren in prostitution must not be treated
as criminals and as outcasts in society. Legal efforts should be directed against estabishments, pimps and
mak customers and all others who profit from the business of prostitution. Policies and programs that will address
the problems of women in prostitution and that will protect them must be devebped. Those who control,
perpetuate, and benefit from the business of prostitution must be penalized.


The urgent passage of ths bills eamestly sought.

ibriela Women’s Party

FRANCE L. CASTRO ‘SARAH Ji YELAGO
ACT Teachers Partylist Kal in Pétylist

CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE

eureMA C. CULLAMAT

Bayan Muna Partylist

 GAITE

Bayan Muna Partylist Bayan Muna Partylist,


Republic of the Philipines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO, 1149

Introduced by
REP. ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party),

REP. FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist), REP. SARAH JANE |. ELAGO (Kabataan Partylist),

REPS. EUFEMIA C. CULLAMAT, CARLOS ISAGANI T. ZARATE and FERDINAND R. GAITE (Bayan Muna)

AN ACT REPEALING ARTICLES 202 AND 341 OF THE REVISED PENAL CODE AND NNSTITUTING A
SYSTEM OF PROTECTION FOR VICTIMS OF PROSTITUTION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title -This Act shall be known as “The Anti-Prostitution Act of 2019".
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies - The State:

(2) declares its commitment to end the continuing sexual exphitation of women and children and all
forms of gender-based violence by comprehensively addressing the factors that perpetuate sexual
‘expbitation;

(0) recognizes prostitution as a human rights violation which calls for coordinated and sustained
response from all agencies and at all evels of government;

(c) recognizes that women and children are victimized by the system of prostitution and must therefore
be given protection and support by the State, nstead of being treated as oniminals

(d) recognizes thet efminating prostitution requires the abottion of the patriarchal ideobgy that
jates the view of women as objects for commodification and the restructuring of the
expbitative capitalst system that economically and pottically marginalzes majority of Filpinos; and

(@) recognizes intemetional commitments, particulary, the Universal Dectration on Human Rights,
Convention on the Eimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Convention on the
Rights of the Child, Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime incliding its Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and other
intemational human rights instruments of which the Phiippines is a party, declaring its commitment
to end the continuing sexual expbitation of women, men, and chikiren and all forms of gender-
based vioknce by creating an enabing environment where the human rights of women and
children are observed, protected, and fufiled

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms - The following terms are defined for purposes of this Act:

(2) Prostitution - any act, transaction, scheme, or design invoWing the use of a person by another,
whether through the performance of such act or mere demonstration thereof, for sexual intercourse,
lascivious conduct, or for sexual gratification in exchange for money or checks profit or any other
consideration, or any act that promotes or faciltates the accompishment of the said act, transaction,


scheme or design

(b) Person expbited in prostitution - refers to a woman, man, or chili used, exphited or employed for
another person's sexual gratification, pleasure, or expbitation and for the ‘monetary gain or profit of
others

(c) Child refers to a person bebw eighteen (18) years of age or one who is over eighteen (18) but
is unable to fully take care of or protect herselfhimself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, expbitation, or
discrimination ‘because of a physical or mental disabiity or condition

(a) Prostitution Den - refers to any business or enterprise, incliding but not Imited to, sauna, bath,
massage parbr, discotheque, bar, restaurant, resort, lodging house, motel, hotel, theatre, ship
vessel, cab or taxi, or any other vehicle, or any dweling, house, jail, detention centre, structure or
building, or any group, association, organization, or services such as escort services, serving as a
Cover or venue for, or which engages in prostitution activities as defined in Section 4 of this Act

(©) Sexual Act - refers to sexual intercourse, inckiding genitalo-genital, oralo- genital, analto-genital, or
intercourse or contact, insertion of any instrument or object ‘into the genitalor anal orifice of any
person, bestiaity, masturbation, sadistic, or masochistic abuse, exhibition of the genitals or pubic
area of any person and other acts presumed 1o be of sexual nature, whether the same is made
between persons of the same or opposite sex

() Sexual exploitation - refers to the practice by which a person is sexually subjugated through
abuse or violation, either covert or overt, of @ person's sexuality and physical or mental integrity
as a result of being subjected to threat, deception, coercion, abduction, force, abuse of authority,
debt_bondage, fraud or through abuse of her/his vuhverabilty as’ a means of achieving
gratification, financialgain, and advancement.

(g) Puble Officers - refers to any person who, by direct provision of the law, popular ection or
appointment by competent authority, shall take part in the performance of puble functions in the
Government of the Philppine Islands, or shall perform in. seid Government or in any of its branches
pubic duties as an empbyee, agent or subordinate official, of any rank or class

SECTION 4. Punishable Acts - Prostitution is a crime committed by:

(®) Giving, conveying, or delvering money or any other consideration in exchange for the actual
performance or mere demonstration of a sexual act by a person expbited in prostitution, regardless
cf whether the person giving or deivering money or any other consideration is the recipient of the
sexual act, Provided, however, that for purposes of this section, being a recipient shall incude
Persons or crowds before whom a person expbited in prostitution has actually performed or merely
demonstrated the sexual act, provided, further, that the actual performance of the acts by the person
expbited in prostitution is not @ requirement forthe offender tobe prosecuted under this provision;

(b) Recruiting, inducing, persuading, enticing, compeling, kidnapping, or in any manner procuring a
person for the purposes of expbiting a person in prostitution, or causes @ person to work in an
establishment knowing that the same is nvoled h prostitution activities or when she/he has reasonable
cause to beleve that such establishment isinvohed in the said activities;

(c) Recruiting another person purportedly for lawful employment but actually for the purpose of exploiting the
person inprostitution;

(@) Transporting a person or persons from one place to another for purpose of expbiting the person or
persons in prostitution;

(©) Organizing or arranging travel, tours, and other tourismelated activities which invohe the sexual
expbitation of another a defined in Section 3 (f) ofthis Act or the escort services of any person
who is expected to perform the sexual acts defined in Section 3 (e) of this Act,


(0) Receiving, giving, or agreeing to receive money or anything of vakie or any other consideration in
exchange for or for the purpose of procuring or recruiting, in any manner, a person or persons to be
expbited in prostitution;

(g) Deriving profit or advantage from any of the acts defined in this Section as owner, operator,
manager, head, director, office or agent of an establishment where the prostitution activity takes place,
or of the estabishment’ serving as a cover or venue for such prostitution activity, or aiding another
establishment or person involved in any prostitution activity,

(h) Any manner or under any pretext advertising, organizing, arranging, managing, promoting, or facilitating
the commission of any of the acts prohibited under this section;

(i). Using, enticing, recruiting, or offering another person as part of a cult or religious obligations as sexual
offering or favor to other members of the cut or reigious organization;

(i). Using information technology such as cyberspace, satelite, television, or any other form of media to
promote or any ofthe acts defined inthis Section;

(k) Committing, causing, promoting, facitating, allowing, or tokrating the commission of any of the acts
defined in this Section or, inany manner, providing protection to the perpetrators of the said acts of any
member of the miftary or polce establishment, or any government official or employee, or any person
in authority;

)) Leasing, subleasing, or in any other manner allowing the use of any dweling, house, structure or
building knowing that the lessee/sub-lessee intends to use or uses it for prostitution activities as defined
in this section, or continues with the lease, sublease or any other arrangement for its use knowing that
the place is being used for prostitution. For the purpose of this paragraph, the owner of the dwling,
house, structure, building or land or any other property used for prostitution and higher agent shall
be presumed to have knowledge that the place is being used or intended to be used for prostitution
unless he/she disproves it.

For purposes of this Section, it is understood that the prohibited acts of prostitution may be committed in any
establishment as defined in Section 3 (d) above or any other place not otherwise mentioned in Section 3 (4)
Furthermore, an attempt to commit any acts defined inthis section is also prohibited
SECTION 5. Committing chldprostitution - Child prostitutionis committed by:

(a) any person who acts as a procurer of a child for prostitution;

(b) any person who induces another to be a cfent of a child prostitute by means of written or oral
advertisements or other similar means,

(c) any person who takes advantage of his/her influence or relationship to procure a child as a prostitute;
(d) any person who threatens or uses violsnoe towards a child to engage him/her as a prostitute;

(e) any person who gives monetary consideration, goods or other pecuniary benefits to a child with intent to
engage such child in prostitution;

(f) any person who commis the act of sexual intercourse with a child exphited in prostitution or subjeoted
toother sexual abuse; and

(g) any establishment or person providing entertainment or relaxation to the pubic, including, but not imited
fo, sauna, bath parbr, massage parr, discotheque, bar, videoke or sing-a-long estabishment, resort,
lodginghouse, moteland hotel, which/who employs achild


SECTION 6. Attempt fo commit child prostitution. There is an attempt to commit child prostitution when a person
who, not being a grandparent, parent, guardian or bbod relative of a chit, is found abne with the said child
inside a room or cubick of a house, inn, hotel, motel, pension house, apartelle, or any similar estabishment, vessel
vehicle or any hidden or secluded area, or under circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to beleve that
the childs prostituted.

There is ako an attempt to commit child prostitution when a person receives services from a child in a sauna
parbr or bath, massage cfnic, health clib or any other similar estabishment.

‘SECTION 7. Who may commit the prohibited acts. The acts defined in Section 4 of this Act may be committed by
any natural or juridical person, estabishment, association.-movement, cult, religious group or any organization.

SECTION 8. Person Exploited in Prostitution as Victims. Any woman, man or child used or employed for another
person's sexual gratification, pbasure or expbitation and for the monetary gain or profit of others, as defined in
Section 4 of this Act, shall be treated as victims of prostitution. As such, they shall not incur any criminal fabiity
Under this Act, except to the extent referred to under Section 10 (b) hereof,

SECTION 9. Consent of victim immaterial The consent of the person expbited in prostitution to the
commission of any of the acts defined in Section 4 of this Act shallot in any way exempt the offender from, or mitigate
herfhis, criminal tabilty,

‘SECTION 10. Penalties and Sanctions.

(a) Any person found guity of the acts defined in Section 4 shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of 20
years. If the person expbited in prostitution is a chill, the penalty to be mposed shall be life
Imprisonment without prejudice tothe fling of other criminal charges under other eppicable laws. A fine
of not ss than one millon pesos (P1,000,000) but not more than two milion pesos (P2,000,000)
shall also be imposed upon the owner, operator or manager, or the directors and officers, of the
estabishment , corporation, partnership or association found’ to be engaged in any of the acts
defined in Section 4. In addition, the establishment, corporation, partnership or association shall be
immediately closed and its regstration andior foense to operate shall be revoked, without prejudice
to the fing of other charges under other appicable laws.

(b) Any person guilty of the acts defined in Section 4 who is also exphited in prostitution or had
been expbited in prostitution shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of 12 years for the first
offense and imprisonment of 12 years and 1 day to 14 years and 8 months for the succeeding
violations and a fine of not less than five hundred thousand pesos. (P500,000) but not more than
cone millon pesos (P 1,000,000)

(©) The penalty of fe imprisonment and a fine of one millon pesos (P1,000,000) but not more than two
millon pesos (P2,000,000) shall be imposed on the offender who is a member of the police or
miltary estabishment, or a government official or employee. In addition, the offender shall be
perpetually disquatfied from holding any appointive position or from running for any elective position
in goverment

(q) The penatty of Ife imprisonment and a fine of one milion pesos (P'1,000,000) but not more than two
milion pesos (P2,000,000) shall be imposed on the offender who is a bader or a person exercising
authority in a relgious group, sect or cult

(©) When the offender is a foreigner, helshe shall be deported immediately after service of sentence and
permanently barred from entry into the country.

Any person found guity of an attempt to commit child prostitution shall suffer the penalty of
imprisonment of 17 years, without prejudice to the filng of other criminal charges under other
applicable laws. A fine of five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000) but not more than one milion
pesos (P1,000,000) shall further be imposed upon the owner, manager, or operator of the
establishment.


In dtion to the penaly of imprisonment end fre, ery person who is found guy of any of the acts
provided under Section 4 and 5 of this Act shall undergo a rehabilitation program and community service
with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which shall not be shorter than three
months and no longer than one year, provided that only firsttime offenders shall undergo such
rehabiltation and community service program. The DSWD shall submit to the court a report of the
rehabiltation and community service of the offender.

Pubic officers found guity of an attempt to commit child prostitution shall in addition to the penalty provided
for the same, shall suffer the penalty of temporary to absolute disqualification,

SECTION 11. Civil Liabiliy for prostitution. Persons exphoited in prostitution may bring a civil action for
damages against the persons allegedly responsible for their exploitation. Such civil action shall be
independent of any criminal proceedings and a preponderance of evidence shall suffice support such action.

SECTION 12. Applicability of Republic Act No 7309 and Republic Act No. 6981. Persons expbited in
prostitution shall be covered by the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act, or Republic Act No. 6961. They
may ako file claims with the Board of Claims created under Repubic Act 7309. For the purpose of the appication of
Republic Act No. 7309, persons expbited in prostitution shall be deemed victims of violent cnmes under
Section 3, paragraph (d) thereof.

SECTION 13. Responsibilties of government agencies in anti-prostitution efforts. Local government -units. shall
exercise their powers to curb prostitution within their respective jurisdictions. Their responsibilty shall include
conducting education and pubic information campaign against prostitution and to eradicate the negative views
attached fo women forced into prostitution. Local government units may employ elements of the National Bureau
of Investigation (NBI) or the Philppine National Poice (PNP) as provided for under Republic Act No. 6975, as
amended by Republic Act No. 8551

The national government shell ensure that focal govemment units conscientiously engage in anti-prostitution
activities, provide support for the same, and intervene when necessary.

The NBI and PNP shall continuously conduct surveillance and monitor establishments to prevent prostitution. They
shall promptly investigate any establishment suspected to be engaged in activities constituting prostitution under
Section 4 of this Act and shall take appropriate measures, in coordination with the local government unit concemied
and other relevant government agencies, for the speedy prosecution ofthe offenders.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) shall undertake corrective and enforcement measures to stop activities in
tourism constituting, promoting or faciltating prostitution.

The Department of Information and Communications Technolgy (DICT) and the National Bureau of Investigation
(NB) shall take down advertisements disseminated onine or through celphone SMS that promote or suggest
prostitution

SECTION 14. Liabilty of local government units. Provinces, cities, and municipatties shall be fable for damages
to persons expbited in prostitution when it is proven that the responsible authorities had knowledge or were
informed of the activiies constituting prostitution but did not take proper action within a reasonable period of
time.

The responsible authorities shallbe deemed to have knowledge of the prostitution activities when the same
are common knowledge in the community

SECTION 15. Requirements for hotels, motels and lodging houses. Notwithstanding any kgisation, ordinance
or ruto the contrary, every motelor lodging area shalt

(2) Maintain a reception and registration area for guests and patron that is readily witin the publ view,

(&) Strict require the registration of every guest and patron in the reception and registration area referred to
above, and for this purpose keep a registration book at al times;


(c) Maintain open garages, or those which do not have doors or any closing mechanism; and
(a) Maintain good lighting in all its entrances, exits, driveways, and garages.

No hotel, motel or lodging shall be allowed to operate in any part of the Philppines without
complying with the preceding requirements,

For the purpose of this Section, hotels, motels, and lodging houses akeady operating shall have six months
from the effectivity of this Act to comply with this provision

SECTION 16. Human rights of persons exploited in prostitution. Persons expbited in prostitution have human
Tights which must be respected, protected, and promoted by all branches, agencies and instrumentalties of the
government in law enforcement drives, criminal prosecution, civil suits, service provision, and program
development and implementation. These rights include, but are not imited to:

(a) the right to be treated as human beings,

(b) the rightto dignity and security of person,

(c) the right against any form of discrimination,

(@) the right to equal protection of the law,

(€) the right to be protected from abuse and exphitation,

(f) the right to seek redress for violations of their rights and to have their complaints appropriately
addressed,

(@) the right to fair and humane treatment,

(h) the right to sensitive and appropriate legal, health, and other social services,
(i) the right to organize themselves and fight for their legitimate concems, and
(j). the rightto be consulted on any governmental initiative affecting them

Persons exphited in prostitution shall not be detained on the occasion of or by reason of @ raid or in the
name of law enforcement. There shall be at least one social worker or one representative from a
nongovernmental orgenization known to be working with women expbited in prostitution present during raids.

During raids of estabishments, and at any stage of the investigation, prosecution and trial of complaints for
Violtion of this Act, law enforcers, prosecutors and judges, shall not discbose to the pubic the name, personal
circumstances and other information that will establish the Identity of the person expbited in prostitution,
unless the latter consents thereto in writing

It shall also be the duty of law enforcers to ensure that persons exphited in prostitution are not exposed
to the media on the occasion of a raid. Law enforcers who allow or faciltate the exposure to the media of
persons exphited in prostitution shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for 6 months without prejudice to the
filng of other criminaland administrative charges under applicable laws.

Any journalist, reporter, editor, publisher, or producer of print and broadcast media who exposes to the pubic
the identity of any person expboited in prostitution without her or his consent thereto in writing, or causes the
publication of any picture that violates the dignity and other human rights of the persons expbited in
prostitution, shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for 6 months. In addition, the owner or publisher of the
print or broadcast media found guity of the violation shall pay a fine of five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000).
This shall be without prejudice to the right of persons exploited in prostitution to file a civil action for damages for
the violation of their human rights or for any injury caused them by the pubication


SECTION 17. Entrapment prohibited. Law enforcers shall not use entrapment as a method in law enforcement
activities when the same will invohe the sexual expbitation of persons as defined in Section 3 (f) of this
‘Act. A law enforcement officer who resorts to this method shall be punished under Section 4 (a) of this Act.

SECTION 18. Enforcement of labor laws and regulations. The Bureau of Working Conditions of the
Department of Labor and Empbyment (DOLE) and its regional, provincial and district ofices shall conduct, in
coordination with the local government officials and relevant agencies, quarterly monitoring of all establishments to
ensure that they comply with the minimum wage law and other laws on labor standards. Quarterly monitoring
reports shall be submitted to the chief executives of provinces, cities, and municipalties for their appropriate action
Copies shall alo be furished to the Anti-Prostitution Councilcreated under this Act.

SECTION 19. The National Anti-Prostitution Council. There shall be a National Anti- Prostitution Council
composed of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as ead agency, the Philippine
Commission on Women (PCW), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Heath (DOH), the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (004), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Phifppine
National Poice (PNP), three (3) non-govemment organizations (NGOs) selected by NGOs providing support
services fo vats of preston, end tree (2) representatives of persons expbited in prosttuton. The Natonal
‘Anti-Prostitution Task Force shall perform the following functions:

(2) Develop a program addressing prostitution and the needs of persons expbited in prostitution and
those vuherable to be expbited in prostitution. The program shall inclide puble information and
education campaign against prostitution and on human rights of women in prostitution, crisis
intervention services, educational assistance, and socioeconomic assistance such as sustainable
Ivelhood kilt training and financial support for small-scale businesses, among others,

(b) Identify and, if necessary, create centers in strategic places all over the Philppines that will provide
health services, including counseing and therapy, temporary shetters, and other crisis intervention
services to persons exploited in prostitution. The rape crisis centers estabished under Republc Act No.
8505 and the hospitakbased protection units for women and children may also serve as centers
servicing persons expbited in prostitution. Each centre shall establish a network of heath care and
other service providers to address the needs of persons expboited in prostitution;

(c) Ensure that units are created within refevant government agencies, particularly those composing the
Council that shell focus on addressing prostitution and the needs of persons expboited in prostitution
This shall inclide units within the National Prosecution Service Offices in beal goverment -units that
shall specifically focus on the prosecution of offenders under this Act;

(@) Ensure that relevant govemment agencies work in close coordination with each other in
addressing prostitution and the needs of persons exphited in prostitution;

(e) Develop and implement a training program for law enforcers, public prosecutors, judges,
government lawyers, government heatth care providers, social workers, and barangay officials that
aims to increase their understanding of prostitution as a system, and equip them with the
perspective and skills to appropriately address the needs of persons exphited in prostitution,
respect, protect, and promote their human rights, and pursue the prosecution of offenders;

(f) Ensure that focal counterparts of the Task Force are created in every municipality, city and
province; and

(g) Promulgate, when necessary, rules and regulations for the effective implementation and enforcement
of this Act.

SECTION 20. Mandatory Services to Victims of Prostitution. To ensure healing, recovery, rehabilitation,
and reintegration into the mainstream of sodety, concerned government agencies, particularly the
members of the Anti-Prostitution Council, shall make the following services available to victims of prostitution:


(a) Counseling,

(b) Free legal services which shall include information about the victim's rights, the procedure for filing
complaints, claiming compensation, and other legal remedies to them;

(c) Emergency shelter or appropriate housing,
(a) Medical or psychological services; and
() Livelihood and skills training,

SECTION 21. Appropriation The amount necessary to cary out the provisions of this Act is hereby
authorized to be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act of the year following the enactment of this law
and every year thereafter. All bcal goverment units are Ikewise mandated to allt not less than five (5%)
percent of their gender and development (GAD) budget and not less than five (5%) percent of the bcal
development fund of bcal government units (LGUs) for programs, projects, and activiies aimed to control
prostitution activities their jurisdiction.

SECTION 22. Separability Clause. f any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the
remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue in full force andeffect.

SECTION 23. Suppletory Application. The provision of the Revised Penal Code shall have suppletory
application to this Act

SECTION 24. Repealing Clause. Articles 202 and 341 of the Revised Penal Code are hereby repealed. All
other laws, decrees, executive orders, administrative orders, ordinances and russ inconsistent with or contrary
to the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed amended, modified, or repealed according,

SECTION 25. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall ake effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in
the Official Gazette or in at east two (2) national newspapers of generalcirculation

Approved,