Press Release
January 5, 2022

Gatchalian: Stronger anti-trafficking measures needed to beat surge in online child sex abuse

Senator Win Gatchalian is pressing the urgency of strengthening the country's anti-trafficking laws to address the surge of online child sexual abuse complaints in the country.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has received 2.8 million reports on online sexual abuse of children in 2021, more than twice the 1.3 million reported in 2020. According to the DOJ's Office of Cybercrime (OOC), most of the 2.8 million reports were not actionable because these were submitted multiple times, misleading, and erroneously reported.

In its annual report, however, the DOJ OOC said that it has launched an official investigation of 268 cases of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in 2021, almost four times the 73 cases handled in 2020.

Considering the increasing vulnerability of children to different forms of violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gatchalian highlights the urgency for Congress to amend the country's trafficking laws to allow a stronger crackdown on OSEC cases as well as on different forms of human trafficking.

In November 2021, Gatchalian co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 2449 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021. The proposed measure aims to strengthen Republic Act No. 9208, as amended by Republic Act No. 10364, to provide standards and guidelines on surveillance, interception, investigation, and prosecution of different forms of human trafficking.

The measure also emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of businesses such as internet intermediaries, owners and operators of internet cafes, hotspots and kiosks, money transfer and remittance centers, banks, money service businesses, credit card companies, and financial institutions to prevent human trafficking.

The bill also seeks to reorganize the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to include agencies like the Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism, National Council on Disability Affairs, and the Council for the Welfare of Children.

"Sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga kaso ng pang-aabuso gamit ang internet, kailangan nating paigtingin ang pagbibigay ng proteksyon sa ating mga kabataan at pagharang sa ganitong klaseng mga pang-aabuso. Napapanahon nang amyendahan natin ang ating mga batas laban sa human trafficking upang tuluyang masupil ang ganitong uri ng karahasan," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian also cited the role of the DepEd's Child Protection Program to increase learners' awareness on OSEC and other forms of violence against children.


Gatchalian: Batas para sa pagsugpo ng online child sex abuse patatagin

Muling binigyang diin ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang kahalagahan ng pagpapatatag sa mga batas kontra human trafficking. Ito ay matapos lumabas na muling lumobo ang bilang ng mga reklamo sa online child sexual abuse sa bansa.

Sa taong 2021, nakatanggap ang Department of Justice ng 2.8 milyong mga ulat ng online sexual abuse laban sa mga bata. Mahigit doble ito sa 1.3 milyong naiulat noong 2020. Ayon sa DOJ Office of Cybercrime (OOC), karamihan sa halos tatlong milyong ulat na natanggap ay maituturing na hindi actionable dahil naisumite ang mga ito ng makailang ulit at itinuturing na mapanlinlang o kaya ay mali ang pagkakaulat.

Gayunpaman, ayon sa annual report ng DOJ OOC, umabot sa 268 ang mga kaso ng online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) na iniimbestigahan na ng naturang upisina. Ang bilang ay mas mataas ng apat na beses sa 73 na naitala noong 2020.

Dahil patuloy na hinaharap ng mga kabataan ang banta ng iba't ibang ulit ng karahasan sa gitna ng pandemya, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na napapanahon ang pag-amyenda ng Kongreso sa mga batas kontra human trafficking. Ito ay upang mas mapaigting ang pagsugpo sa OSEC at iba pang anyo ng human trafficking.

Noong Nobyembre 2021, naging co-sponsor si Gatchalian ng Senate Bill No. 2449 o ang Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021. Layon ng naturang panukala na patatagin ang Republic Act No. 9208 na una nang naamyendahan ng Republic Act No. 10364 upang maglatag ng mga pamantayan sa imbestigasyon, surveillance, pagharang, at pag-usig sa iba't ibang anyo ng human trafficking.

Binibigyang diin ng naturang panukala ang mga papel at responsibilidad ng internet intermediaries, mga may-ari at operator ng mga internet cafes, hotspots at kiosks, money transfer at remittance centers, mga bangko, money service businesses, mga kumpanya ng credit card, at financial institutions upang masugpo ang human trafficking.

Layon din ng naturang panukala na palawigin ang Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) upang mapabilang ang mga ahensyang tulad ng Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism, National Council on Disability Affairs, at ang Council for the Welfare of Children.

"Sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga kaso ng pang-aabuso gamit ang internet, kailangan nating paigtingin ang pagbibigay ng proteksyon sa ating mga kabataan at pagharang sa ganitong klaseng mga pang-aabuso. Napapanahon nang amyendahan natin ang ating mga batas laban sa human trafficking upang tuluyang masupil ang ganitong uri ng karahasan," ani Gatchalian.

Ayon pa sa mambabatas, mahalaga ang papel ng Child Protection Program ng DepEd upang dagdagan ang kaalaman ng mga mag-aaral tungkol sa OSEC at iba pang uri ng mga karahasan sa kabataan.

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