‘Report child abuse before they go viral’

Senator Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

People should report suspected cases of child abuse to authorities immediately instead of waiting for them to go viral on social media sites, Sen. Pia Cayetano said on Saturday.

Cayetano, who chairs the committee on women, family relations and gender equality, made the call as she denounced alleged incidents of child abuse as shown on photographs that have generated thousands of views on Facebook.

Cayetano said that while it is good that social media sites are being used to expose incidents of child abuse, people should also keep an eye on similar instances of violent behavior outside the Internet.

“It is heartening how social media has given us a chance to stop child abuse. But what about the other cases that do not go viral?” she said in a statement.

More people should join the cause to protect children, she said.

“I call on everyone to be vigilant about such cases in our respective communities. You don’t need to wait for them to be posted on social media and become viral. If you see a child being subjected to any form of abuse, speak up and report it at once. Don’t allow the innocent to be subjected to these degrading acts,” she said.

Social Welfare officials have started investigating two alleged incidents of child abuse captured in photographs and shared widely over social media.