SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for the allocation of funds to strengthen the government’s protection of children from the dangers of the dark web.

With the rising number of cases involving children being exposed to illicit activities online, Gatchalian warned that the dark web has become a hub for child pornography, illegal drug and arms trade, and online gambling.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said he will raise the need for additional funding during the upcoming deliberations on the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center’s (CICC) proposed budget.

The CICC, an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, currently lacks the resources for 24/7 monitoring. Acting Executive Director Atty. Renato Paraiso noted that an annual subscription for a collaborative database and monitoring mechanism would cost between ₱150 million and ₱200 million.

“This is about protecting our children. The government should have the technology and capability to penetrate the dark web and apprehend those who proliferate and purchase illegal and illicit materials,” Gatchalian said.