The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) vowed on Tuesday, Aug. 23, to intensify the campaign against child exploitation in the country.

DILG Sec. Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. explained that poverty worsened by the global Covid-19 pandemic is one of the major reasons why there was a rise of child abuse cases in the Philippines.

“We just came from (Covid-19) pandemic. Remember this kind of a crime sabi nga nila (they say). We could do it in a room with a camera, with the witnesses, this child is very innocent, so easy to do it,’’ Abalos said, adding that there was a rise in poverty cases during the pandemic.

Through the combined efforts of the public, local government units (LGUs) and government agencies, Abalos assured that the men behind the trafficking and exploitation of minors will soon be put behind bars.

“Kami sa DILG we're with the LGUs. DILG is the interior, interior is the police, the BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection), the fire and the jail and the women, the Commission of Women of Youth and Muslims, governors pababa (We in the DILG, we’re with the LGUs. DILG is the interior, interior is the police, the BFP, the fire and the jail and the women, the Commission of Women of Youth and Muslims, governors down the line),’’ he added.

He also pointed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the technology experts in coordination with the LGUs as major forces in thwarting the syndicates involved in the illegal child exploitation practice.

The DILG chief insisted that all masterminds and syndicates involved in child abuse can easily be tracked down through the use of modern technology and later be brought to court via the prosecuting arm of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

However, Abalos said that not all are pleased with the government’s efforts to end child abuse after a mayor told him that the parents of a child asked him point blank where they would get the monthly income of P20,000 to P30,000 after his men arrested an individual exploiting children in his hometown.

Abalos stated that the inter-agency meeting against cyber pornography or exploitation of children is meant to erase the country’s deplorable record in this regard.

Abalos said the inter-agency fight against child exploitation is important in the sense that it has a negative effect on the children as it violates children’s rights, give them a feeling of shame, unworthiness, withdrawal from their peers among others even if their faces are not shown in video clips.

These acts, according to Abalos, violate the Republic Act (RA) 9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009) and RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act).

The DILG chief stressed that the online sexual exploitation of children is primarily a production, ‘a mere production for the purpose of online publication of sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor in exchange for compensation.’’

In the same briefing, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. reported a total of 71 suspects were convicted against child exploitation and trafficking while other similar cases are currently on-going trials since 2016.

From Jan. to Aug. this year, Azurin noted that the PNP with its intensified operation filed 20 cases against child exploiters and traffickers which is five less than the figure for the same period in 2021.

“Ang inyo pong kapulisan sa buong Pilipinas ay handa po na tumulong po sa atin pong adhikain na matigil na po ang mga child exploitation lalong lalo na yung batang bata po na nabibiktima po nitong online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (Your police force in the whole Philippines is ready to help in our advocacy to end child exploitation especially to the younger ones who are victimized by online sexual abuse and exploitation of children),’’ Azurin stated.

Since 2019, Azurin said that the PNP had received 378 referrals where 225 cases were filed ‘against the perpetrators’ out of the 250 police operations made.

“So our comparative data po from Jan. to Aug. 2021 last year meron po tayong 43 operations na kinonduct and for this year from Jan. to Aug. 2022 meron po tayong 29 operations that were conducted by your PNP (So our comparative data from Jan. to Aug. 2021, last year we had 43 operations conducted and for this year from Jan. to Aug. 2022 we had 29 operations that were conducted by your PNP),’’ he added.

From Jan. to Aug. last year, Azurin revealed that the PNP solved 11 child exploitation and trafficking cases while there were four similar incidents solved for the same period this year.

The PNP chief acknowledged the importance of this briefing which fosters the government’s closer coordination with the public and stakeholders in addressing the problems of child exploitation and trafficking in the country. (Chito A. Chavez)

He assured that the PNP will be ready to ‘bring awareness to everyone in the community about the ill-effects’ of child abuse and exploitation ‘and then we will also organize all sectors in the community to help us by mobilizing everyone.’