Authorities warn of growing PHL cyber-sex trade

Philippine authorities were worried that, given the number of victims that were being rescued, the country was on its way to becoming the center of online sex trafficking in Southeast Asia, GMA News TV program "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" reported on Friday.

According to non-governmental organization International Justice Mission, they had rescued 158 children involved in cyber-sex trafficking in the Philippines since 2016.

Furthermore, police officers with the Philippine National Police's Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) were finding victims of online sexual exploitation who seemed to be getting younger.

PNP-WCPC Anti Trafficking in Persons Division chief Police Senior Superintendent Villamor Tuliao pointed out that these cybersex child-victims were being exploited by their own parents.

"'Yung mismong mga magulang ang nage-exploit nitong mga anak. Because of the wrong... perception na walang physical contact du'n sa pangyayari," Tuliao explained.

"Isang factor 'yung English language. Kahit Grade 3 lang 'yung natapos natin, we can communicate in english. And, of course, 'yung accessibility ng internet, madali lang 'yung internet sa atin," he added.

"This kind of crime, hindi maso-solve 'to ng law enforcement lang. We need a whole of government approach. 'Yung barangay, malaki 'yung papel nila sa pagsugpo ng ganitong krimen because sila 'yung mismong nakaka-detect dapat nitong krimen na 'to."

According to psychologist Dr. Aida Perez, this kind of cybersex exploitation affected victims physically as well as psychologically.

"There are two things that can happen e. It's possible na ang kanyang self-esteem, 'yung pagpapahalaga sa sarili, ay bumaba... Mag-iiba parin ang pananaw sa sarili," Perez explained. "'Yung kanyang katawan ay, tignan mo, parang nagiging laruan na or wala nang pagpapahalaga."

One such victim, 15-year-old  "Jaja," said that she started undressing in front of a webcam when she was 14.

She got into the trade because she was jealous of her classmate, who seemed to be making a lot of money doing it.

"Nagtataka po ako sa kanya, bakit po marami po siyang pera, gan'yan. Eh nainggit po ako sa kanya," she said.

She earned as much as P5,000 a day in the cybersex trade. However, loved ones were able to talk her out of doing it, though she had already been damaged by the work.

"Dinudumihan ko pa po 'yung pagkatao ko, dahil lang po sa gan'yan. Nasira din po 'yung pag-aaral ko. Pati po ang pangarap po ng nanay ko po sa'kin, nasira ko po lahat," she said.

Jaja was back in school, and was pursuing her dream to become a teacher.

"Sa mga dalagang naging tulad ko, kung iniisip po nila na papasok po sila [sa online sex trade], 'wag na po nilang ituloy. Dahil po nakakasira po ng puri, dahil mapapahiya lang po sila kapag nalaman po ng mga ibang tao," she warned. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News