Tiangco; pagsisikap ng gobyerno kontra online child abuse, higitan

NANAWAGAN si Navotas Congressman Toby Tiangco sa mga kinauukulang pambansang ahensiya na iayon ang buong diskarte ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa paglaban sa online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

“President Bongbong Marcos’ directive is clear: the government must ramp up efforts to combat child abuse in digital spaces. The Philippines remains a hotspot for the sexual exploitation of children, and like the President, I find the statistics—1 in every 100 Filipinos affected—deeply alarming. We cannot allow these numbers to persist,” sabi ni Tiangco.

“The President has made it his personal mission to tackle this pressing issue, and it is essential that all government agencies unite to put an end to online children abuse. Collective action is crucial to safeguarding the future of our youth,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi niya na ang mga ahensya ay kailangang maging maliksi sa kanilang pagtugon dahil ang mga digital spaces ay patuloy na nagbabago, na nag-aalok sa mga kriminal ng mga bagong paraan upang pagsamantalahan ang mga mahihinang indibidwal

“Hindi pwedeng mabagal o hindi updated sa nagbabagong realidad sa cyberspace dahil kaligtasan ng mga bata ang nakasalalay,” aniya.

“At the heart of public service is our unending hope that we can build a country that will nourish and protect our children. If we let crimes like online child abuse continue to fester and rob our children of a happy childhood, and even a bright future, we are falling short of our promise as public servants,” sabi pa niya.

Binanggit ni Tiangco na ang matatag na panawagan ng pangulo sa pagkilos ay sumasalamin sa kanyang pangako sa pagtugon sa isyu ng child protection, tulad ng ipinakita ng pagtatatag ng Presidential Office of Child Protection.

Nagpahayag din siya ng pagkabigla kung paano ang paglaki ng mga kasuklam-suklam na krimen na ito na nagdudulot ng milyun-milyon, kahit bilyon-bilyong piso.

“In 2022 alone, the Anti-Money Laundering Council flagged transactions amounting to P1.5 billion that are suspected to be linked to online sexual abuse,” aniya.

“By adopting a whole-of-governance approach, we can anticipate a robust implementation of existing laws, including Republic Act 11930 (the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Act) and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022,” dagdag niya. (Richard Mesa)