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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. 11021
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING THE PRODUCTION, PRINTING, PUBLICATION, 
IMPORTATION, SALE, DISTRIBUTION, AND EXHIBITION OF  PORNOGRAPHIC 
MOVIES AND MATERIALS, THE EXHIBITION OF LIVE SEXUAL ACTS, AND THE 
UPLOADING OR POSTING OF OBSCENE MATERIALS THROUGH DIGITAL 
PLATFORMS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 201 OF THE REVISED PENAL 
CODE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
No less than the 1987 Constitution, in one of its State policies, declared that it recognizes 
the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, 
spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. The Constitution even mandates educational 
institutions to strengthen ethical and Spiritual, values and develop moral character.  
Today, we are living witnesses to broken homes and families, shattered dreams of parents 
and children, rising crimes against persons and chastity, unwarranted and/or early pregnancies, 
abortions, child abuse, and utter lack of respect for human values and dignity. Unfortunately, the 
moral fibers of our society continue to disintegrate, and obscenity and pornography have greatly 
contributed to these ills of society. Though it is probably surprising to many young people today, 
there was a time before the rise of the Internet when pornography was mostly found in magazines 
and videos. These were purchased via subscription or could be found in stores, either hidden 
away at the back of the magazine racks. Regrettably, due to the advancement of technology, there 
are millions of websites devoted to pornographic and obscene videos and images. This shift has 
made pornography more accessible than it has ever been before.1 
According to studies, pornography is any material that is predominantly sexually explicit 
and intended primarily for sexual arousal. Online or internet pornography is any images and 
videos with sexually explicit content that can be viewed and downloaded from the internet. 
1 The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Behavior , pp. 548 - 557DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108131797.046. Publisher: Cambridge University Press. Print publication year: 2020 
November 4, 2024
3:06 pm


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Furthermore, the development of smartphones and their substantial prevalence among young 
adults has contributed to this ease of access to pornography.2 
 Sadly, the moral issue of watching pornography results in various negative effects such 
as objectification of men/women, loss of respect, lack of focus/concentration, distorted views on 
sexuality, and many others. This behavior, if not controlled, can lead to addiction which can be 
destructive to one’s mental health. Addictive use of internet pornography as research and studies 
confirmed, which is associated with poorer psychosocial functioning, emerges when people begin 
to use or engage with it daily. This is where the habit is gradually developed and a compulsive 
behavior comes into play.3 
While freedom of speech and the press guarantee the right to utter, upload, publish,  and 
upload whatever one pleases. Yet, if for its blasphemy, obscene, or scandalous character, the same 
may be curtailed under the police power of the State to promote the general welfare. Censorship 
of immoral or indecent pictures is not a violation of such freedom. Obscenity is utterly without 
redeeming social value, hence, it should be restrained. 
Unless we act now with determination and dispatch, our children may no longer be able 
to recover from the devastating effects of obscenity and pornography. Let us not be judged by 
history that we, as legislators of our country, who should be examples of moral values have 
become apathetic and unconcerned to the cry of our people, particularly the youth, in bringing 
back moral values to our beloved country. We must come back to a society where we have a 
moral foundation to stand on and where the law is respected and obeyed. 
The immediate passage of this Bill therefore is earnestly prayed for. 
BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
2 Pew Research Center (2015). The Smartphone Difference [Online] Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. 
3 Cepeda, M. (2022, August 24). Philippines declares “war” against online child pornography. The Straits Times. 
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-declares-war-against-online-child-pornography 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. 11021
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING THE PRODUCTION, PRINTING, PUBLICATION, 
IMPORTATION, SALE, DISTRIBUTION, AND EXHIBITION OF  PORNOGRAPHIC 
MOVIES AND MATERIALS, THE EXHIBITION OF LIVE SEXUAL ACTS, AND THE 
UPLOADING OR POSTING OF OBSCENE MATERIALS THROUGH DIGITAL 
PLATFORMS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 201 OF THE REVISED PENAL 
CODE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. — This act shall be known as the “Anti-Obscenity and Pornography Act 
of 2024”. 
SEC 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to give special value to the dignity 
of every human person and to promote and safeguard the integrity and the moral, spiritual, and 
social well-being of its citizenry, especially the youth in general and women in particular, from 
the pernicious effects of obscenity and pornography. To effectively enforce this policy, the 
government shall wage a relentless campaign against obscenity and pornography. Likewise, the 
government shall see to it that educational institutions are complying with their Constitutional 
mandate to strengthen ethical and spiritual values and to develop moral character and personal 
discipline. 
SEC 3. Definition of Terms.- As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
a)
Obscene. –  Anything that is indecent, erotic, or offensive or contrary to good customs or
religious beliefs, principles or doctrines, or which tends to corrupt or deprave the human
mind, or is calculated to excite impure imagination or arouse prurient interest, or which
violates the proprieties of language and human behavior, regardless of the motive of the
producer, printer, publisher, writer, importer, seller, distributor, exhibitor, uploader or
poster such as but not limited to:
1. showing, depicting, describing, uploading, or posting sexual acts;
2. showing, depicting, describing, uploading, or posting human sexual organs or the
female breasts;
3. showing, depicting, describing, uploading, or posting completely nude human


 
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bodies; 
4. describing erotic reactions, feelings, or experiences on sexual acts; or 
5. performing live or online sexual acts of whatever form. 
 
b.) Pornographic or Pornography.-  Objects or subjects of photography, content of video blog,  
illustrations, paintings, drawings, writings, literature, billboards, posters, movies, music 
records, video, television shows,  or programs, magazines, newspapers, tabloids, 
newsletters, and comic books calculated to excite or stimulate sexual drive or impure 
imagination, regardless of the motive of the author thereof. 
 
c.) Materials. -  Newspapers, tabloids, magazines, newsletters, literature, articles, writings, 
and comic books regardless of the frequency and place of publication or circulation, 
whether its circulation is limited to subscribers, and whether printed in the Philippines 
or abroad; photographs, drawings, illustrations,  billboards, and posters; movies, 
television shows or programs, music records, video, video blog, and similar matters, 
whether produced or uploaded or posted in the Philippines or abroad. 
 
d.) Sex. - The area of human behavior concerning sexual activity, sexual desires, and instinct 
and their expressions. 
 
e.) Sexual act. - having sex or an act of satisfying one’s sex instinct. 
 
f.) Magazine. - a paperback periodical publication of writings by different authors, often 
illustrated with advertisements, whether printed in the Philippines or abroad. 
 
g.) Comic book. - magazine consisting of narrative cartoon drawings. 
 
h.) Internet address. -  refers to a website, bulletin board service, internet chat room or 
newsgroup, or any other internet or shared network protocol address 
 
i.) 
Internet service provider (ISP). - refers to a person or entity that supplies or proposes to 
supply, an internet carriage service to the public. 
 
j.) 
Blog – refers to a made up of written content, such as articles, stories, or essays text-based, 
usually presented on websites or platforms designed for written content. 
 
k.)  Vlog - is a blog in video format with the content presented via recorded videos. A video-
based typically hosted on video-sharing platforms such as but not limited to Facebook, 
TikTok, YouTube, or other dedicated vlogging sites. 
 
l.) 
Digital platform. – Online space where exchange happens between the producers of 
products, services, and information and their customers such as but not limited to social 
media and media-sharing platforms. 
 
 
SEC 4. Punishable Acts. - The following acts are declared illegal and punishable: 
 


 
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a) Producing, importing, distributing, broadcasting, advertising, uploading, or posting 
obscene or pornographic movies, materials, blogs, or vlogs; 
 
 
b) Showing, printing,  publishing, selling or exhibiting, or causing the showing, exhibition, 
printing, sale, publishing of,  obscene or pornographic movies, blogs, or vlogs as the 
terms are defined under this Act; 
 
c) Printing, publishing, showing, exhibiting, advertising, broadcasting, uploading or 
posting or causing the printing, publication, showing exhibition, advertising, 
broadcasting, uploading, or posting  of anything obscene or pornographic materials, 
other than movies, as the terms are defined under this Act; 
 
d) Printing, uploading, publishing, importing, selling, or distributing, magazine or comic 
books containing anything obscene or pornographic as the terms are defined under this 
Act; 
 
e) Showing, exhibiting, selling, distributing, or uploading obscene pornographic movies, 
videos, blogs, or vlogs through digital platforms such as but not limited to social media 
and media-sharing platforms whether produced in the Philippines or abroad in  
restaurants, clubs, other places open to the public, public utility vehicles,  including  
private buildings or houses where the viewers are not limited to the owner/s thereof and 
the members of their family; 
 
f) Writing any obscene or pornographic article in any newspaper, tabloid, magazine, 
newsletter, comic books, or through blogs; 
 
g) Performing, or allowing the performance of live sex or sexual act in any place open to 
public viewing. 
 
h) Failure of an Internet Service Providers (ISP) to notify the Philippine National Police 
(PNP) or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) within seven (7) days from obtaining 
facts and circumstances that obscene or pornographic movies, materials, videos, blogs or 
vlogs is being committed using its server or facility. 
  
SEC 5. Penalties. - The following penalties shall be imposed upon any person  found guilty 
of committing any of the prohibited acts under Section 4 of this Act:  
 
a) For producing, importing, distributing, broadcasting advertising, uploading or posting, 
obscene or pornographic movies, materials, blogs, and vlogs, as the terms are defined 
under this Act,  the penalty of imprisonment of not less than four (4) years nor more than 
five (5) years and a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) nor 
more than Three Hundred Thousand pesos (P300,000.00) shall be imposed. 
 


 
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b) For showing, printing,  publishing, selling or exhibiting, or causing the showing, 
exhibition printing, sale, or publication of,  obscene or pornographic movies, blogs, or 
vlogs as the terms are defined under this Act, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than 
six  (6) years nor more than ten (10) years and a fine of not less than Five Hundred 
thousand Pesos (P500,000) nor more than One Million pesos (P l,000,000.00) shall be 
imposed. 
 
c)  For printing, publishing, showing, exhibition, advertising, broadcasting, uploading or 
posting or causing the printing, publication, showing exhibition, advertising, 
broadcasting, uploading, or posting of anything obscene or pornographic materials, other 
than movies as the terms are defined under this Act, the penalty of not less than five (5) 
years nor more than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than four (4) Hundred Thousand 
pesos (P 400,000) nor more than Seven (7) Hundred Thousand Pesos (P 700,000 shall be 
imposed. 
 
d) For printing, uploading, publishing, importing, selling, or distributing, magazine or 
comic books containing anything obscene or pornographic as the terms are defined under 
this Act, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than four (4) years nor more than five 
(5) years and a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000) nor more 
than Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000) shall be imposed.  
 
e) For showing, exhibiting, selling, distributing, or uploading obscene pornographic 
movies, videos, blogs, or vlogs through digital platforms such as but not limited to social 
media and media-sharing platforms whether produced in the Philippines or abroad in 
restaurants, clubs, other places open to the public, public utility vehicles,  including 
private buildings or houses where the viewers are not limited to the owner/s thereof and 
the members of their family, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than six (6) years or 
more than ten (10) years and a fine of not less than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P 
500,000.00) nor more than One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) shall be imposed. 
 
f) For writing any obscene or pornographic article in any newspaper, tabloid, magazine, 
newsletter, comic book, or through blogs, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than 
three (3) years nor more than five (5) years and a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand 
Pesos (P50,000.00) nor more than Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00) shall be 
imposed. 
 
g) For performing, or allowing the performance of live sex or sexual act in any place open 
to public viewing, the penalty of imprisonment of not less than five (5) years nor more 
than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than Three Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(P300,000.00) nor more than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) shall be 
imposed. 
 
h) An Internet Service Providers (ISP) that fails to notify the Philippine National Police 
(PNP) or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) within seven (7) days from obtaining 
facts and circumstances that obscene or pornographic movies, videos, materials, blogs or 
vlogs is being committed using its server or facility, shall suffer the penalty of fine of not 
less than Five hundred thousand pesos (Php500,000.00) but not more than One million 


 
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pesos (Php1,000,000.00) for the first offense. In case of subsequent offense, the penalty 
shall be a fine of not less than One million pesos (Php1,000,000.00) but not more than Two 
million pesos (Php2,000,000.00) and revocation of its license to operate; 
 
In any case, if the offender is a juridical person, the President, General Manager, Members 
of the Board of Directors, Editor-in-Chief, Production, Sales, Marketing and Advertising, 
Departments’/Sections’ Managers or Heads thereof, as the case may be, shall be criminally liable. 
 
Any person found guilty of violating this Act shall not be entitled to the benefits of the 
Probation Law. 
 
SEC. 6 Appointment of Special Prosecutors. - The Department of Justice (DOJ) shall appoint 
or designate special prosecutors to prosecute cases involving violations of this Act. 
 
SEC. 7 Duties of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). – All internet service providers shall 
notify the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) within 
seven (7) days from obtaining facts and circumstances that obscene or pornographic movies, 
materials, videos, blogs or vlogs are being committed using its server or facility. Nothing in this 
section shall be construed to require an ISP to monitor any user, subscriber, or customer, or the 
content of any communication of any such persons: Provided, That an ISP shall preserve such 
evidence gathered for purposes of investigation and prosecution for violations of this Section: 
Provided further, That no ISP shall be held civilly liable for damages on account of any notice 
given in good faith in compliance with this section. 
 
An ISP shall, upon the request of proper authorities, furnish the particulars of users who 
gained or attempted to gain access to an internet address that contains any form of obscene or 
pornographic movies, materials, videos,  blogs, or vlogs.  
 
All ISPs shall install available technology, programs, or software to ensure that access to 
or transmittal of any form of obscene or pornographic movies, materials, videos, blogs, or vlogs 
will be blocked or filtered. 
 
An ISP who shall knowingly, willfully, and intentionally violate this provision shall be 
subject to the penalty provided under Section 5(h) of this Act. 
 
SEC. 6 Witness Protection and Immunity from Prosecution. – Any person who provides 
material information, whether testimonial or documentary, leading to the apprehension and 
prosecution of any person violating this Act and who testifies against such person shall be placed 
under the Witness Protection Program pursuant to Republic Act No. 6981 and shall be immune 
from any criminal prosecution, subject to the pertinent provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1732 
otherwise known as Decree Providing Immunity from Criminal Prosecution to Government 
Witness and the pertinent provisions of the Rules of Court. 
 
SEC. 7 Informant’s Reward. – Any person who, having knowledge or information of any 
violation under this Act, shall disclose the same which will lead to the arrest, prosecution, and 
conviction of the offender shall be given a reward in an amount to be determined through policy 


 
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guidelines to be promulgated by the Department of Justice in coordination with the Movie and 
Television Review and Classification Board, the National Telecommunication Commission and 
the Department of the Interior and Local Government within Sixty (60) days from the effectivity 
of this Act. 
 
SEC. 8 Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within Sixty (60) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the DOJ, DILG, MTRCB, NTC, and other concerned government agencies shall jointly 
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations which shall include, among others, the 
installation of filtering software that will block access to or transmission of any form of obscene 
or pornographic movies, materials, videos, blogs or vlogs to ensure the efficient and effective 
implementation of the provisions of this Act. Provided, that the absence of such implementing 
rules and regulations shall not prevent the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of any person for 
violation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any portion or provision of this Act shall 
be held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall continue 
to be in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 10 Repealing Clause. – The provisions of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code are 
hereby repealed. All other laws, decrees, executive orders, memorandum orders, memorandum 
circulars, administrative orders, ordinances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act, are hereby deemed repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 11 Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,