The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) “sadly notes” a more than 100 per cent increase in suspicious transactions involving child pornography due to the economic slump caused by the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The CHR cited an Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) report which pointed out that the volume of suspicious transaction reports reached 27,217 from January to June 2020 or more than 2.5 times the 10,627 reported number for the entire 2019.
It said the AMLC’s report corroborated the findings of the Department of Justice (DOJ) which has noted a 264 percent increase of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in at the height of the country’s health crisis.
CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia, on Monday, Feb. 8, said that the pandemic has caused the worst Philippine post-war Gross Domestic Product slump, which led to an alarming increase in child abuse and sexual exploitation.
The staggering numbers, De Guia said, highlight the need for the whole nation to observe the "National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation" or "Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Week," which takes place every second week of February.
"Celebrating this year’s Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Week means that all efforts must be exerted by the government to protect all minors from all forms of abuse," said de Guia, a lawyer.
"This includes the continued provision of psychosocial services, health, and financial aid to protect young individuals from being lured into online exploitation as means to provide for themselves and their families," she said.
At the same time, the CHR has lauded the move of the current administration to sanction erring internet service providers for their failure to stop online child pornography.
It has also given its support for the passage of Senate Bill 735 or the Human Trafficking Preventive Education Program Act by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. The act aims to education Filipino children on their rights and vital protection measures against OSEC.
"Child exploitation reflects a failure to protect the most vulnerable. The marginalized sector, now more than ever, needs the government’s utmost protection in unprecedented times like this. Let us all step-up our efforts to respond, protect and prevent the continuing cases of child abuse,” De Guia stressed.