Anti Mail-Order Spouse Act
The Anti Mail-Order Spouse Act, officially designated as Republic Act 10906, is a Philippine law that prohibits the business of organizing or facilitating marriages between Filipinas, colloquially called "mail-order brides", and foreign men.
It replaced a 1990 law, the Anti Mail-Order Bride Law, enacted by the Congress of the Philippines as a result of stories in local media about Filipinas being abused by their foreign husbands. In practice, it was readily circumvented by basing matchmaking agencies outside the Philippines as no law prohibits their operation in destination countries such as Japan, the United States of America or South Korea. In 2009, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas had just three active cases open against marriage brokers; there were no cases between 2003 and 2007. It has been used occasionally to combat forced marriage and human trafficking; while its penalties are weaker than those of Republic Act 9208, cases under it may be easier to prove in the often slow and inefficient Philippine judicial system. Because of this, Filipinas often use "reverse publications"—publications in which men advertise themselves—to contact foreign men seeking marriage.
In April 2009, Philippine ambassador to South Korea Luis Cruz estimated that 6,000 Filipinas had met South Korean spouses through matchmaking agencies. Some of these brides have complained of domestic violence or having received false information regarding their partner's background. Philippine embassies have issued warnings regarding international matchmaking agencies that violate local laws in their own country and use deceptive advertising.
In August 2013, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives of the Philippines to extend the law to internet services. Rep. Cinchona Gonzales, who filed the bill, said "A new era of professional prostitution or high-end pornography through the web was born which downgrades the integrity not only of Filipino women, but of the country as a whole."
Legislative text
Republic Act 10906
RA 10906 lapsed into law on July 21, 2016, without the signature of then-president Benigno Aquino III. It declared illegal all of the following:However, "the above notwithstanding, legitimate dating websites, which have for their purpose connecting individuals with shared interests in order to cultivate personal and dating relationships, are not covered by this Act." With this Act, the Congress of the Philippines extended the law to criminalize the running of matchmaking businesses online with the sole purpose of connecting Filipina women and foreign men, whether for a fee or not.
In a De La Salle University primer on the law and its place in the related Magna Carta for Women, they note that the law sees websites that are intended only for foreigners to meet Filipinas as illegitimate; while general dating sites may be allowed depending on the other circumstances of the case.
Republic Act 6955
RA 6955 was approved on June 13, 1990 and repealed on July 21, 2016, when it was replaced by RA 10906. It declared illegal:For a person, natural or juridical, association, club or any other entity to commit, directly or indirectly, any of the following acts:
For the manager or officer-in-charge or advertising manager of any newspaper, magazine, television or radio station, or other media, or of an advertising agency, printing company or other similar entities, to knowingly allow, or consent to, the acts prohibited in the preceding paragraph.