As the Philippines commemorates National Children’s Month, the Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment (PEACE) Party-list urged the government to “sincerely and comprehensively address” child sexual abuse.
“We must do more to protect vulnerable children against sexual abuse. Nagaaral dapat sila, naglalaro. Napakabigat sa damdamin na mas dumami pa ang kabataang biktima ng pangaabuso,” PEACE Party-list president and first nominee Marie Paz T. Abante said.
The United Nations Children’s Fund had earlier identified the country as the “global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade.”
The recently-published 2021 Global Threat Assessment report by WeProtect Global Alliance said that the Philippines recorded a 265-percent increase in online child sexual abuse between March and May 2020.
The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also reported earlier that there had been a 209-percent increase in cyber tip reports for the Philippines, from January to December 2020 (1,294,750 cyber tips) compared to 2019 (418,422 cyber tips).
The United Nations Children’s Fund had earlier identified the country as the “global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade.”
The report also noted an upward trend in child “self-generated” sexual materials after the Internet Watch Foundation observed a 77-percent increase from 2019 to 2020.
Abante called on the House of Representatives to pass its counterpart measure to the proposed Special Protections against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (Anti-OSAEC) Law which the Senate passed on 3rd Reading in May.
“We appeal to the House of Representatives to pass its version of the Anti-OSAEC Law so that we can further empower government agencies and other stakeholders in the fight against OSAEC,” said the long-time educator.
“The government needs to introduce various interventions and mechanisms to ensure that children are safe from abuse. Bukod sa pagpasa ng Anti-OSAEC Law, kasing-halaga din na agarang magpatupad ng iba pang solusyon na tutugon sa kahirapan, na siyang pangunahing dahilan kaya ang mga kabataan at mga pamilya nila ay kumakapit sa patalim,” Abante said.
Abante called on the House of Representatives to pass its counterpart measure to the proposed Special Protections against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (Anti-OSAEC) Law which the Senate passed on 3rd Reading in May.
Meanwhile, PEACE PL’s chairman for Committee on Community Programs, Dr. Rudy Juan, said there was a need for barangay and school officials to develop and implement an education plan for the entire community and its leaders on the reality of child abuse, risk factors leading to child abuse, and strategies for prevention.
“Nakalulungkot man, ang mga bahay ay hindi tahanan para sa lahat. Ang physical abuse and exploitation– kabilang ang online abuse, ay nagaganap sa loob ng bahay saan mang sulok ng Pilipinas,” he said.
“Ang inaakala ng mga bata na ligtas sila, ay hindi pala. Minsa’y akala ng mga bata ay normal ang nangyayari o ginagawa sa kanilang kahalayan dahil kadalasan ay mga magulang o ang mga kasamahan sa bahay ang pangunahing gumagawa. Kaya kailangan nating gumawa ng hakbang upang maiwasan ito sa lebel ng mga kani-kaniyang komunidad natin,” Juan added.
