Displaced workers contributed to surge of online sexual exploitation —NBI

ONLINE TRADE Sex workers—called walkers—sell themselves through the popular social media network Facebook. —Junjie Mendoza

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation has acknowledged a surge in cases of online sexual abuse among people who have been displaced from work and forced to stay home due to the lockdowns as a result of coronavirus restrictions.

NBI spokesperson Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said the surge in cases started at the time the government imposed quarantine restrictions.

“Yes, we experienced a surge of itong mga (these) online sexual exploitation cases in the almost two years especially during the pandemic,” Lavin said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“Mainly because people stayed at home at ‘yung mga (and) keyboard warriors took advantage of the situation, others were out of the job and so, they resorted to this,” he added.

Based on a 2021 Global Threat Assessment report by WeProtect Global Alliance, the Philippines recorded a 265-percent increase in online child sexual abuse cases between March and May 2020.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has identified the Philippines as the “global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade.”

To address the issue, the Senate approved on final reading Senate Bill No. 2209 or the proposed Special Protections against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Law.

EDV