AN official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday condemned the continued rise in incidents of online sexual exploitation of children in the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, CBCP-Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) Vice Chairman Bishop Ruperto Santos slammed those behind the online sexual exploitation of kids, describing them as “predators.”
“They take advantage of the situation, with our youth, who are preoccupied with the internet at home. These predators are heartless, motivated by insatiable greed and addiction to their craving of flesh trades,” said Santos.
“These are the human traffickers and sexual offenders, the worst and venomous virus on earth, taking every opportunity to raven our youth and even young children, who are bored at home and have nothing to do but navigate the internet,” he added.
“We should condemn the viruses of human trafficking and online sexual exploitation,” Santos said.
Last Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that cases of online sexual exploitation of children from March to May increased by 264 percent compared to the same period last year.
Citing data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tipline Report, the DOJ said there were 279,166 reports of online sexual exploitation of children from March 1 to May 24 as compared to 76,561 last year.
Santos said there is a need for the whole community to work together to ensure that such activities are put to a halt.
The prelate said parents must always be observant of their children, especially with their use of the internet; set time limits with the use of their gadgets; and talk to them consistently about their friends or what they are going through.
He also encouraged families to do something together to develop or discover each other’s talents, such as baking, painting, or making designs; or introducing their children to old childhood games such as dama, chess, or sungka.
Santos said the community must also be brave enough to report and bear witness to such “evil deeds.”
He said authorities must exhaust all legal means to investigate, prosecute, and punish human traffickers and sexual offenders.
“They are the hope. They are our future. Human trafficking and online sexual exploitation are evil deeds and criminal acts, which ruin their future,” he stressed. “So, it is a call for all of us to protect our children, our youth and prevent them from being victimized.”
