The Department of Justice, through the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM), has partnered with International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines to strengthen the country’s justice response against online child sexual exploitation.

The five-day training, dubbed “W.I.P.E. Out OSAEC: Advancing with P.O.S.E.,” gathered 28 judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers in Makati City from 13 to 17 April. It marks the first time two major capacity-building programs — Working for Interagency Protection and Enforcement Against Exploitation (WIPE Out) and Prosecuting Online Sexual Exploitation Advanced — were merged into a single, integrated initiative.

Organizers said the unified approach aims to improve coordination across agencies handling cases from investigation to prosecution, while reducing duplication and maximizing resources.

Justice Secretary Frederick A. Vida, in a keynote message delivered by Undersecretary Garney Candelaria, emphasized the need for justice personnel who are both skilled and committed.

“Ang kailangan natin ngayon ay hindi lamang trained personnel. Ang kailangan natin ay trusted frontliners of justice — people who understand the law, who understand trauma, who understand technology, and who understand that every delay has a human cost,” Vida said.

Barbara Mae Flores, officer-in-charge executive director of the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM Secretariat, underscored the importance of collaboration.