THE International Justice Mission (IJM) has cautioned government agenciesin Central Luzon against the prevalence of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).
Speaking to members of the Regional Interagency Council Against Trafficking, IJM Pampanga Field Office Director Rey Bicol defined OSEC as the production or depiction of live or recorded images, video and audio, of
child sexual abuse or exploitation for online publication.
“With the proliferation of new media in developing countries, it is becoming easier to exploit children as even poor communities have cellphones, tablets, and cheap internet access,” Bicol stressed.
Unlike bars or brothels with a fixed address, OSEC victims can be moved to and abused in any location, making it even easier for them to evade law enforcement.
“There are four Philippine laws that criminalize OSEC: Anti-Trafficking Law, Anti-Child Pornography Law, Anti-Cybercrime Law and the Anti-Child Abuse Law,” Bicol added.
From 2011-2015, IJM has filed 20 cases mostly coming from Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga.
“In those cases, 99 victims were freed. There are more to be rescued,” he ended. (PIA 3)