Probe child cybersex abuse – lawmaker
October 13, 2022 · By Moises Cruz for www.manilatimes.net
Probe child cybersex abuse – lawmaker
DEPUTY Speaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar-Genuino sought an investigation into the rise of online child sexual abuse, with the Philippines having the unsavory reputation of being the leading producer of child pornography in the world.
Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
In filing House Resolution 453, Villar noted that online child abuse had grown widespread.
“There is a need to protect children from different types of online abuses, especially since the pandemic has had a profound impact on the way children use the internet as they spend more time online,” she said.
The Philippines was identified as the world’s hotspot for the livestream sexual abuse industry as early as 2016. The country was also ranked second for its vulnerability to cybercrime, which puts more minors and children in danger because they use the internet the most often.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, 20 percent of internet-using children in the Philippines between the ages of 12 and 17 were victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes being lured with money or offered gifts to engage in sexual activity, having their sexual images shared without their consent, or being blackmailed to engage in sexual activity.
The Department of Justice said that cases of online child sex abuse nearly tripled during the pandemic lockdowns. They rose from 76,561 cases to 279,166 from March 1 to May 24, 2020.
Furthermore, there was a large increase in the number of cyber tip reports, or incidents that have not yet been confirmed, from 400,000 in 2019 to 2.8 million in 2021.
“Online sexual exploitation of children, which includes child pornography and abuse, is one of the gravest and most alarming forms of human trafficking that is happening in the Philippines,” Villar said.
“Children who experience abuse often do not understand that what was done to them was a form of abuse, and it is important to make them understand that such acts are illegal and may bring them trauma,” she added.
