Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas said an urgent investigation is needed over the rising cases of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), especially as the pandemic and calamities have made more children more vulnerable to abuse and with the observance of the World Children’s Day.
Brosas pointed out that 8 out of 10 Filipino kids are at risk of online sexual abuse as reported by UNICEF.
“And we remain to be a global hotspot for these, and yet there remains to be an urgent government response to at least address and investigate these cases of violence against children. And the worst part about these is that more and more victims have to deal with the bad experience as they grow,” said Rep. Arlene Brosas.
Rep. Brosas together with other Makabayan bloc partylists filed House Resolution 1313 last October urging the House Committee on the Welfare of Children to probe the alarming spike in OSEC amid the pandemic.
The Gabriela solon said the dire impacts of the pandemic and the recent calamities are pushing more families to enjoin their children in OSEC due to worsening poverty, noting that most cases are usually “family-based crimes.”
Based on studies, the median age of the victims is 11 years old while the length of abuse suffered by children ranges from two months to four years.
Gabriela Women’s Party is supporting the move of House Committee on the Welfare of Children Chair Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez to initiate a congressional probe on the rising cases of OSEC.
“We hope the committee will schedule this investigation at the soonest time possible so that we can work on proposed amendments on our laws to strengthen the protection of children from online predators and organized syndicates,” Rep. Brosas said.