SEN. Risa Hontiveros yesterday urged the Philippine National Police to check out the activities and unmask the owners of the Facebook page “Usaping Diskarte” which she alleged is engaged in online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
In a Tweet, Hontiveros called on the PNP Anti CyberCrime Unit to “please take a look. The people behind these accounts should be brought to justice. To my followers, please keep reporting the Usaping Diskarte page and channel.”
The senator said her attention was caught by the Facebook page, which allegedly showed tips on how to lure female children into having a rela-tionship with older men and assorted photos of female children.
“These horrifying photos tell us what we already knew: that an Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children law is absolutely and urgently needed… Our children need the full power and protection of this measure,” Hontiveros said.
Asked to respond to the senator’s call, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group spokeswoman Lt. Michelle Sabino said: “Our cyber patrollers are now monitoring the report and have also endorsed the same to our Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit for them to do social media exploitation as well.”
Hontiveros appealed to President Marcos to sign into law a measure against online sexual abuse or exploitation of children, which defines the appropriate punishment for online sexual abuse and exploitation. The measure was ratified by a bicameral conference committee of the 18th Congress last May. — with Victor Reyes
