Child Rights Network, an alliance of organizations and agencies pressing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines, expressed its gratitude to the Senate for approving on second reading the proposed Special Protections against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) Law.
The proposed measure expands the protection for Filipino children “in the increasingly perilous online world.” It grants potent tools to law enforcement authorities to swiftly pursue perpetrators of OSAEC.
It also lays down the responsibilities of Internet intermediaries, including Internet Service Providers, Internet Content Hosts, Social Networking Sites, and banking and financial institutions, enabling the government to work with the private sector not only to block child sexual abuse or exploitation materials but also to ensure that technological and other practical safeguards are in place to prevent or detect recruitment and trafficking.
Studies show that about 43.7 percent of Filipino children aged 13 to below 18 years old have experienced violence online. Of those who have experienced violence, 25 percent involve sexual and explicit exchange, while 2.5 percent had their own nude body or own sexual activities shown on the Internet, including both real and falsified images.
OSAEC tip line reports also noted a significant spike of cases during the lockdown due to the pandemic.
The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a 209 percent increase in the cyber tip reports for the Philippines, from January to December 2020 (1,294,750 cyber tips) compared to 2019 (418,422 cyber tips).
