THE Philippines has become “number one for child trafficking, (and) online pornography” after cases of child exploitation rose by over 280 percent this year, the Philippines’ Special Envoy to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nikki Teodoro, said yesterday.
Teodoro made the pronouncement as the government declared an all-out war against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).
The former lawmaker turned special envoy said she will go to the United Nations in September to report the plight of children in the Philippines and the status of the country’s campaign against child abuse and exploitation.
“My job is to report to the UN on what is happening in the country. So, now I will be going there in September to announce that we’re number one in child trafficking, online pornography,” she said.
Teodoro and Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benjur” Abalos Jr. said one factor may be due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which had resulted in lockdowns and loss of jobs and livelihood.
Abalos said based on DILG data, there were 26 OSAEC operations done this year. There were also 62 OSAEC operations conducted in 2020, which is higher than the 48 in 2019.
He said there had been at least 103 cases of child pornography in the country since 2016, but only 67 resulted in actual cases.
PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin said based on their records, there have been 29 OSAEC operations from January to August this year, which resulted in the filing of 20 cases.
Azurin said that since 2019, 250 police operations involving OSAEC cases have been done and 71 people have been convicted.
NBI Director Medardo De Lemos said that since 2019, his agency has handled 46 active OSAEC cases and secured 29 convictions.
Teodoro said while there are existing laws in the country such as the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 that she authored when she was a congresswoman, the situation in the country has “gotten so bad that we’re actually number one.”
Teodoro said there had been a lot of pornographic materials involving Filipino children and some even shot in the country now available and sold online.
She said this has already turned into a “lucrative business” and a “billion-dollar industry.”
Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, chairman of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), said the government is concerned that the Philippines has become the top source of the online OSAEC and “we are declaring a war on this.”
He said that data culled from different international agencies showed that the Philippines has become a “favorite place” for “perverts who like exploiting children.” He said it is a painful reality and a source of shame.
“That’s why we want to end this,” he said, adding that many of those who are interested in the illegal materials are from Europe.
Remulla said he has talked with Abalos, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy about crafting a comprehensive government plan to address the OSAEC situation.
He expressed the hope that the public would support the government’s campaign, especially the parents who should care for their children. Telecommunication companies and internet providers have been asked to contribute to the fight by blocking such activities.
Tulfo and Abalos reminded the public, especially parents, that their children should be treated with dignity and respect, adding that online pornography and exploitation strips the children of their dignity and such experiences would also affect their lives when they grow up.
Teodoro and Tulfo also warned parents they would be charged legally and lose their rights to the child if they are caught and it would be the government that would take care of the child once it happens.
