Gatchalian flags potential spike in cybersex trafficking of children amid expanded ECQ

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic fuels fears of a cybersex trafficking surge among children in Southeast Asia, Senator Win Gatchalian called on the Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for increased vigilance and protective measures.

Gatchalian warned that since the community quarantine in the country gave children more time to spend online, traffickers would take advantage to target more victims. He emphasized that the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) already identified the Philippines as the global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade, with eight out of ten children and youth at risk of online sexual abuse.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Cybercrime Office reported that in 2018, it received 600,000 tips of images and videos of naked, sexualized, and abused Filipino children, an increase of more than 1,000 percent from 45,645 cases in 2017. The United States (US) Department of Labor's "2018 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" also reported that at the direction of paying customers, victims in the Philippines were induced to perform sex acts for live internet broadcasts in small internet cafes, private homes, and "cybersex dens."

"Bago pa dumating ang banta ng COVID-19, isang hamon na sa atin kung paano natin lalabanan ang online sexual abuse sa mga kabataan. Ngayong mas nakatutok sa internet ang mga bata, kailangan nating palakasin ang mga hakbang upang mabigyan sila ng proteksyon at mapanagot ang gumagawa ng krimeng ito," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Gatchalian urged DepEd to leverage its online learning platform 'DepEd Commons' to increase awareness on the dangers, prevention, and reporting of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC). Aside from teaching children about these, the senator also said parents should monitor their children's online activities and ensure the strictest possible level of their privacy settings.

He also urged the DOJ and the PNP to use their communication platforms to likewise raise awareness while mobilizing their cybercrime units to track down predators. These efforts should also involve women and children protection units such as the PNP-Women and Children Protection Center and the NBI-Violence Against Women and Children Desk, the lawmaker said.

Gatchalian last year filed Senate Bill 735 or the Human Trafficking Preventive Education Program Act to orient Filipino children and youth about their rights, government protection measures, and the dangers posed by different forms of trafficking, including online sexual exploitation.

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Gatchalian: mga kaso ng cybersex trafficking maaaring umakyat ngayong lockdown

Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Education o DepEd, Philippine National Police o PNP, at ang Department of Justice o DOJ na paigtingin ang kanilang mga hakbang kontra cybersex trafficking sa mga kabataan.

Nagbabala si Gatchalian na dahil pinalawig pa ang enhanced community quarantine dahil sa banta ng COVID-19, mas maraming panahon ang mga kabataang magbabad sa internet. Kaya naman mas nanganganib silang maging target ng mga online traffickers. Ayon sa senador, itinuring na ng United Nations Children's Fund o UNICEF ang Pilipinas na global epicenter ng livestream sexual abuse trade, kung saan walo (8) sa sampung (10) kabataan ang nanganganib makaranas ng online sexual abuse.

Noong 2018, nakatanggap ang Cybercrime Office ng DOJ ng anim na raang libong (600,000) ulat ng mga malalaswang larawan at video ng mga kabataang Filipino. Ito ay mas mataas ng halos isang libong (1,000) porsyento mula sa mahigit apatnapung libong (45,645) naitala noong 2018. Ayon naman sa ulat na "2018 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" ng United States Department of Labor, ang mga batang biktima ng online trafficking ay binabayaran ng mga customer upang magpakita ng kalaswaan sa mga livestream. Madalas nagaganap ang mga ito sa mga internet cafe, mga pribadong tahanan, at mga cybersex dens.

"Bago pa dumating ang banta ng COVID-19, isang hamon na sa atin kung paano natin lalabanan ang online sexual abuse sa mga kabataan. Ngayong mas nakatutok sa internet ang mga bata, kailangan nating palakasin ang mga hakbang upang mabigyan sila ng proteksyon at mapanagot ang gumagawa ng krimeng ito," ani Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Hinimok ni Gatchalian ang DepEd na gamitin ang online learning platform nitong DepEd Commons upang magpalaganap ng kaalaman sa mga panganib, pagsugpo, at pag-ulat sa mga kaso ng online sexual exploitation of children o OSEC. Maliban sa pagtuturo nito, binigyang diin din ni Gatchalian ang mahalagang papel ng mga magulang, na siya dapat magbantay sa pag-gamit ng kabataan sa internet. Aniya dapat siguruhin ng mga magulang na dapat nasa pinakamahigpit na privacy settings ang pag-gamit ng kanilang mga anak sa internet.

Nanawagan din ang mambabatas sa DOJ at PNP na magpalaganap ng kaalaman sa OSEC habang tinutugis ang mga nasa likod ng mga krimeng ito. Ani Gatchalian, dapat maging bahagi nito ang buong pwersa ng women and children protection units tulad ng PNP-Women and Children Protection Center at ng NBI-Violence Against Women and Children Desk.

Noong nakaraang taon ay inihain ni Gatchalian ang Senate Bill 735 o ang Human Trafficking Preventive Education Program Act upang ituro sa mga kabataan ang kanilang mga karapatan, ang proteksyong maaaring magmula sa pamahalaan, at ang mga panganib na dulot ng iba't ibang anyo ng trafficking, kabilang ang online sexual exploitation.

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