Amid the global celebration of World Children’s Day Sunday, Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the government to sustain the momentum of its crackdown on online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).
Gatchalian said the government is now better equipped to combat OSAEC and other forms of child trafficking and abuse with the passage of two relevant laws-the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022 (Republic Act No. 11862); and the Anti-Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act (Republic Act No. 11930).
A recent study entitled “Disrupting Harm in the Philippines: Evidence on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse,” said that 20% of internet-using children aged 12-17 were victims of grave instances of online sexual exploitation and abuse during the past year.
The study surveyed 950 children.
When these findings are scaled to the population, up to 2 million children were subjected to these harms last year.
According to the study, the experiences of victims include being blackmailed to engage in sexual activities or being coerced to engage in sexual activities through promises of money and gifts.
Gatchalian also recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic increased children’s exposure to OSAEC.
In 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that it has received more than 2.8 million reports on online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), more than twice the nearly 1.3 million reports for 2020.
The DOJ also reported that last year, it launched investigations on 268 OSEC cases, almost four times the 73 cases handled in 2020.
During these past months, Gatchalian said lawmakers have passed important laws to boost the fight against abuses in children.
