The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) lauded on Saturday the government’s passage of Republic Act (RA) 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Law that provides additional protection for children.

CHR Chairperson Leila De Lima said the passage of the law will specifically protect Filipino children from being victims of Internet-based pornography.

“The enactment of this law is an important step in the right direction for the Philippine government,” De Lima said in a statement.

The CHR chief explained that the passage of the Anti-Pornography Law is mandated by a number of international human rights law treaties to which the Philippines is a party.

These include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography.

The international human rights treaties, which the Philippines ratified in 1990 and 2002 respectively, require the government to undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, social, educational and other measures, in order to implement the human rights of children, De Lima said.