IJM supports Philippine president’s directive to combat online sexual exploitation of children
In 2023, the Philippines received 2,740,905 reports of suspected child sexual exploitation online from the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The vast majority of those cases likely remained unacted upon, with offenders continuing to exploit vulnerable children.
“The alarming prevalence of trafficking of children to produce child sexual abuse material demands urgent and comprehensive action, and we commend the government’s commitment to addressing this huge problem,” said IJM Philippines’ director Samson Inocencio Jr.
IJM suggested that the following actions be taken to accelerate the response:
• Strict enforcement of the law requiring tech companies to detect, block and report child sexual exploitation materials, including livestreamed abuse;
• Issuance of clear guidance and regulation from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ensure Philippine banks and money transfer businesses detect, intercept and report transactions indicative of online sexual exploitation;
• Issuance of clear guidance from the Supreme Court for prosecutors and courts to consistently apply the probable cause and police personal knowledge principles in a way that allows law enforcement to quickly secure warrants and arrest suspected traffickers and sex offenders.
Inocencio commended the significant progress made in addressing online sexual exploitation, with collaborative efforts led by the Philippine Government.
“However, there is still much more that the government and other stakeholders can do to end this horrible problem.
“IJM is committed to continuing our partnership with the Philippine Government to protect Filipino children from horrific sexual abuse and exploitation, until all Filipino children are safe and protected,” Inocencio said.