Gov’t intensifies crackdown on online child exploitation

UPON orders from the President, government law enforcement agencies are enjoined to intensify their fight against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, especially child pornography.

Department of Justice (DoJ) Spokesperson Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV told a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday that while the Philippines has put in place policies and operational plans that are considered the “best in the region,” cases of child pornography and abuses continue to rise.

“We believe this is [because] it is embedded in the culture already,” Mr. Clavano said. “It’s hard to spot because it’s done inside the homes of the victims.”

He said 74% of sexual abuse cases against children were found to be perpetrated by people closest to them or individuals within the victims’ “circle of trust.”

Circle of trust refers to parents, close relatives, and those who assert moral influence over the child.

“Prevailing social norms [drive this crime], such as [the] ‘no touch, no harm’ and the ‘it’s just a webcam’ [mindsets],” Palace press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez said.

“This cannot be only done by a whole of government approach, but by a whole of nation approach, which includes the private sector, social media, where these crimes occur, such as Facebook,” Mr. Clavano added.

Meanwhile, Executive Director for the DoJ Center for Anti-Online Child Sexual Abuse Margarita F. Magsaysay said they are focusing on key result areas to combat these crimes.

“[First is] protection and reintegration, making sure our children have access to the mandatory services provided for them by the law, such as the emergency shelter and psychosocial services for them to be reintegrated back into society,” she said.

“[Another is] partnership and networking, making sure we are engaging our civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations to combat this,” she added. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana