Sexual abuse cases from March to May 2020 more than tripled, says DOJ

Reports of sexual abuse in the Philippines from March to May 2020 more than tripled compared to the same period last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras,” the DOJ received 279,000 reports of sexual abuse from March to May 1 this year, significantly higher than the 76,651 reports recorded during the same months in 2019.

In most of these cases, the suspects were the victims’ parents.

“Ang taas talaga ng increase no’ng activity nila online. Gano’n din naman ‘yung mga perpetrators do’n sa mga ibang bansa na nagiging active online rin, searching para sa mga biktima,” police Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division chief Marie Shiela Portento said.

Police nabbed a 28-year-old woman in Taguig City who sexually exploited her own children online.

“Economic reason [daw]. Mahirap ang buhay and then ‘yung youngest na anak niya is only a four-month-old baby so pito ‘yung pinag-uusapan nating bata,” Portento said.

“‘Yung online sexual exploitation of children kasi, kung ano usually ‘yung dine-demand ng customer na ipe-perform no’ng mga victims. In this case, siyempre ‘yung mga bata, ‘yun ‘yung gagawin kasi they’re paying para do’n sa certain act na ‘yun,” she added.

Authorities said the foreigners paid the suspect around P5,000.

The suspect will face several charges, including violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and the Anti-Cybercrime Act, among others

Her children are now under the custody of the Social Welfare Department. -MDM, GMA News