Kin, mostly perpetrators of online sexual abuse — DoJ

Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children is usually perpetrated by the parents or relatives of the victims, an official of the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking or IACAT revealed Wednesday.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, who is IACAT in charge, said neighbors report most cases.

"Those who report the online sexual abuse are the neighbors because, sadly, the children are usually abused by their parents and relatives. They are the ones who make the explicit videos that are sold to foreigners abroad. The neighbors usually notice this and report the matter to us," Ty said in a Palace briefing.

He said the parents use their children as bait to would-be clients, and they encourage it.

"Yes, the parents usually use their children to get involved in sex trafficking, which should not be the case. They think that it is just a video, and they are the ones using or having sex with their children, and what they want is to earn, which is wrong," Ty said.

He said the sexual act perpetrated by their own parents or relatives is punishable under the law, and the children may develop long-term trauma.

Epidemic

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday said the government is actively engaged in discussions on how to address the pervasive issue of child sexual abuse.

Remulla said the DoJ is exploring all avenues, including seeking advice and guidance from the Supreme Court.

He expressed deep concern over rampant child sexual exploitation in the country, referring to it as an "epidemic" that has silently persisted over the years.

Remulla's remarks were prompted by disturbing reports of alleged child sexual abuse linked to a "doomsday cult" in Surigao del Norte.

He said the allegations against the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. or SBSI in Surigao del Norte are not isolated incidents; instead, they exemplify a distressing pattern that extends to other regions. He cited a similar occurrence on an island in Zamboanga that had gone unreported.

"They are saying the cult in Surigao del Norte is not new. Only recently, two or three weeks ago, an incident was reported on an isle in Zamboanga. This is an epidemic in the whole country wherein children are the victims of sexual abuse, and many of these are incestuous rape, which is really a problem," Remulla said.

The allegations against SBSI, made by Senator Risa Hontiveros, accused the cult of coercing and abusing over 1,000 children sexually in Socorro town over the years.

The senator brought the grave allegations to light and called on the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality to investigate in aid of legislation.

In Senate Resolution 797, dated 18 September, Hontiveros stressed the urgent need for action in response to "alarming" reports of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor, and forced marriages involving minors by SBSI.

Convictions

Through the years, Ty said, there have been thousands of such cases, and hundreds of convictions are logged every year while thousands of victims are rescued from various schemes of human trafficking.