CWC, PNP to strengthen helpline vs cyber sexual abuse among kids
MANILA, Philippines — The Council for Welfare of Children (CWC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) to fight the proliferation of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse Materials.
In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview on Wednesday, CWC Executive Director Angelo Tapales said the MOU defines the coordination between the two agencies where the PNP-ACG Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit would respond to reports received by the CWC’s MAKABATA Helpline 1383.
“Magtatalaga ang CWC ng competent persons to man the helpline. Popondohan namin iyan. Talagang trained ang mga tao natin (The CWC will place competent persons to man the helpline. We will fund that. Our people are trained),” he said.
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“Sa PNP (As for the PNP), they will treat MAKABATA 1383 helpline as an additional number that they will promote.”
The MAKABATA Helpline 1383 receives calls regarding abuse against children, including physical violence, sexual violence, and psychological violence, and makes referrals to appropriate agencies, such as the Bureau of Immigration and National Bureau of Investigation, for rescues.
The helpline has logged 886 reports and 899 concerns as of July 31.
About 20 percent of the calls were inquiries about child support, child custody, and children’s rights violations.
Earlier, the PNP said reports of child abuse have increased, particularly from modeling scams and child beauty pageants, with 66 cases logged for the first half of 2024.
“Meron din po tayong pending Executive Order (EO), na-draft po sa ating Pangulo (We also have a pending executive order drafted with our President). This Executive Order on the MAKABATA Program will streamline the government’s efforts in need of special protection, including those who were subjected to online and offline abuse, abandoned,” Tapales said.
The EO will also authorize the CWC to hire additional personnel and make the helpline available 24/7, he added.
