President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became emotional Monday after hearing the story of a survivor of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
Marcos acknowledged that the Philippine government has not done enough to prevent the abuse and exploitation of children, despite the country’s strong belief in family values and its reputation for caring for children.
“For us to allow this to happen in our country brings me an overwhelming sense of shame because, being in government and public service, we are not doing enough. We must do more,” he said.
He highlighted the “dark reality” that half a million Filipinos have been victimized by OSAEC, meaning one in every 100 Filipinos has suffered from this abuse.
“It is an appalling statistic. We cannot allow this to continue. We will not allow it to continue,” Marcos emphasized.
He described OSAEC as a battle the Filipino people must not and will not lose.
“It is the horrible scourge of Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children, or OSAEC, which remains widespread in our country,” he said. “It’s not a distant problem or just faceless, nameless children. Perhaps we do not know them. Perhaps we are not related to them. But they are all our children. They are Filipinos.”
Last month, Marcos created the Presidential Office for Child Protection (POCP) aimed at addressing threats to the welfare of Filipino children.
“The POCP will serve as the epicenter of our efforts, bringing together resources and strategies to ensure that every child in our country is protected and supported,” he said.
Marcos also pointed to legislative measures such as the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Acts and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, which help bring perpetrators to justice.
The country has also collaborated with the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC). From 2022 to July 2024, authorities rescued more than 1,000 victims of trafficking and OSAEC, and arrested more than 100 suspects.
“This might give us some satisfaction. But if that is how many we have apprehended, and that is the number of children we have saved, I cannot help but think how many are still left out there,” Marcos said.
He assured the public that the government remains committed to protecting children.
“It is our utmost priority to protect our innocents — perfect little beings who are being hurt for money by the people they trust,” he said.
Marcos urged government agencies to stand firm in protecting children who cannot defend themselves.
“To the DSWD, DoH, DoJ, DepEd, DILG—let us stand firmly by our sworn duty to protect innocent children who have no power to defend themselves and have only us to look to for help,” he said.
He also called on the agencies to continue developing training programs and ensure that law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, teachers, and other public servants are equipped to handle these cases.
“Strengthen our criminal justice system so that all who perpetrate this abhorrent crime are put behind bars and made to pay for what they have done. Everyone should think not only twice but three, four, five, 10, 100 times before committing this abuse again,” he added.
Marcos called on local governments and communities to remain vigilant and report OSAEC incidents.
“With the launch of #ReportOSAEC, we are hopeful this will increase community awareness of what OSAEC is, how we can prevent it, how we can help those suffering from these abuses, and the legal consequences for committing what we consider the worst crime against humanity,” he said.
“One call to the Makabata Helpline 1383 can save one child,” he added.
Marcos concluded by calling on everyone to safeguard the future of Filipino children, as they are the nation’s future.
“This is not about crime, money, or exploitation. It is about preserving, saving, and ensuring that our future is bright,” he said.