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De Lima wants Senate probe on alleged proliferation of child cybersex abuses


Detained Senator Leila de Lima has filed a resolution seeking a Senate probe into the continued proliferation of child cybersex abuses in the country despite the existence of at least five laws designed to protect children from abuses, exploitation, and violence.

In Senate Resolution No 945 filed Monday, De Lima asked the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality to conduct an investigation on the alleged rise of cybersex trafficking in the Philippines.

She said cybersex abuse is now terribly advancing and spreading to different platforms – from social media networks, dating sites and online chat rooms – thus making the investigation and identification of sexual predators harder.

“The continuous increase of disturbing and disheartening cases of cyber child sex abuse only shows the utmost need for the government to review, assess and expand the implementation of the laws that are supposed to protect the Filipino youth and children,” she said.

De Lima said the Senate investigation should look into the effective implementation of these existing laws against child abuse and exploitation and consequently make offenders accountable and for due justice to be delivered to the children.

She said the country has five existing laws aimed to protect children against abuse, exploitation and violence—Republic Act (RA) 7610, also known as Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act; RA 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act; RA 9231 or the Anti-Child Labor Law; RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act; and RA 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

Despite this, the Philippines has reportedly become a top global source of child pornography with around 80 percent of children at risk of online abuse or bullying.

The senator said that based on the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Philippines receives more than 3,000 reports of possible cybersex trafficking cases every month.

The International Justice Mission has also recorded an appalling increase of the number of rescue operations from 17 in 2015 to 51 in the first nine months of this year as it expressed alarm that the age of victims has become as young as 12 years old.

De Lima, chairperson of the Senate committee on justice, welfare, and rural development, attributed the rise of cybersex trafficking to widespread poverty, especially in Central Visayas and Mindanao where poverty incidence is said to be highest.

“The pervasive problem of child abuse and sex trafficking is in the Philippines calls urgently for more vigilant, tougher and highest penalties to eradicate this growing industry of child exploitation through cyber pornography,” she said.

De Lima is detained on drug charges, which she has repeatedly denied. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News

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