Philippine Bishops warn
against online child sexual predators
 |
| Online sexual exploitation of children (ANSA) |
As online child sexual exploitation in the Philippines has
more than tripled during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church is calling
on families to protect their children.
By Robin Gomes
These human traffickers and sexual predators are “a more
dangerous and extremely deadly virus lurking around us aside from
Covid-19.”
The warning comes from Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga,
Vice Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People
(ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
“They prey on our young people who are restricted to their
homes due to coronavirus lockdowns,” the bishop said in a statement. “They take
advantage of the situation, with our youth who are preoccupied with the
internet at home. These predators are heartless, motivated by insatiable greed
and addiction to their craving of flesh trades,” Bishop Santos said, speaking
on behalf of the Church in the country.
Preying on poverty
The alert comes following reports that online child sex
abuse has more than tripled in the Philippines during the coronavirus pandemic
as poor families try to make easy money during hard
times.
Bishop Santos described these predators as “the viruses of
our society who use physical vulnerability and poverty to lure and victimize
our people”.
“These are human traffickers and sexual offenders, the worst
and most venomous virus on earth, taking every opportunity to target our youth
and even young children who are bored at home and have nothing to do but
navigate the internet,” the bishop said.
The Philippine Department of Justice said on May 25, it
received 279,166 cyber tips from March to May 2020, compared to 76,561 cyber
tips over the same period in 2019.
Authorities believe poverty, job loss and extreme difficulty
in feeding families are reasons why parents are increasingly selling their
children online.
Surge in online sexual abuse
On May 30, police arrested a 35-year-old mother in Manila’s
Caloocan City for selling livestream feeds of the sexual abuse of her minor
children on an adult website for about USD 100-200.
Police inspector Aldrin Marcelo told UCA News that parents
or relatives engage in this kind of abuse believing it is not harmful to their
children as there is no physical contact between them and the predator.
Social worker Amanda Grajo explained that many of those who
sell images of their children online live below the poverty line. “Maybe they
really have no choice but to do this to their children. They need money to
eat.”
Bishops vow to fight the scourge
The Philippine bishops are urging families to be vigilant
about the online habits of their children to prevent them from being unwilling
victims.
Bishop Santos suggested a few ways that parents can take
action such as by limiting their childrens' use of their devices, being
physically present with them or engaging them in conversations about their
friends or what they are undergoing. At home, parents can also help their
children develop their talents such as in baking, painting or making designs,
or introducing them to their own childhood games, such as dama, chess or
sungka.
Reiterating the Philippine bishops’ commitment to protecting
children, Bishop Santos said that the Church as “a mother speaks and stands for
her children, especially for the vulnerable and voiceless children.”
“She must see to it that they are truly safe at home,” he
said, adding, “We will never end up victims but victors over the viruses of
trafficking and online sexual exploitation.”
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