Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday urged authorities and parents to intensify campaigns and policies aimed at combating the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, coinciding with National Children’s Month.

In a video message, Duterte stressed that children “deserve a safe digital and physical world where they can learn, play, and grow without fear.”

“As we observe National Children’s Month, let us intensify our campaign against sexual abuse or exploitation of children. One of the steps we need to focus on is online sexual abuse,” she said.

Duterte lamented that many children face risks from online predators, cyberbullying, and exploitation, often leaving lasting emotional scars.

She cited data from the International Justice Mission showing that one out of every 100 children in the Philippines was a victim of online sexual exploitation in 2022, and 83 percent of sex traffickers are family members of the abused child.

The Vice President reminded parents of their crucial responsibility in ensuring a safe community for their children.

“As parents and citizens, we have a duty to defend them and ensure the safety of the community where they will grow up,” Duterte said. “Let us not allow the life, dignity, and future of our children to be jeopardized.”

She called for bridging digital safety gaps, empowering parents and caregivers with tools for safe internet use, and strengthening family values to protect the youth.

Duterte also urged local authorities to implement stricter policies and highlighted the need for fast and clear reporting and response mechanisms to protect children from online abuse and exploitation.

“Let us also promote the active participation of children in our campaign to ensure that their concerns on issues related to them, whether online or offline, are heard,” she added. “The fate of every child is the fate of our country.”

Globally, research from the University of Edinburgh’s Childlight Global Child Safety Institute found that about one in eight of the world’s children — or approximately 302 million young people — had been victims of non-consensual taking, sharing, and exposure to sexual images or video in the past 12 months.