MANILA – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) documented an increase in online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) in the Philippines, highlighting poverty as the primary driver of the crime.

“OSAEC activities commonly begins with poverty-stricken communities. An economically motivated family usually learns about OSAEC as a money-generating scheme from a community member engaged in OSAEC activity,” CHR said in its report. “It will spread from a family or two until it is rampant and normalized. This trend usually thrives in impoverished communities where trust in authority is low, and crime reporting is rare.”

In 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) recorded 426,000 cyber tipline reports. CHR reported that the figure nearly tripled in 2020 to 1,297,000 cases, and continued to increase in 2023 with 2,740,905.

Earlier this month, the Senate Committee on Women, Family Relations, and Gender Equality held an inquiry about the situation. A survivor explained how poverty trapped her as an OSAEC victim. For their part, the International Justice Mission (IJM) stressed cases may be underreported.

Read: Gov’t urged to address children’s online sexual abuse

CHR reported that one of the most violent effects of OSAEC is permanency. “It is the idea that the created abuse materials that are uploaded online may be forever available and accessible.”

Both reports of the CHR and Senate inquiry revealed that many cases involve perpetrators who are family members or close relatives and that tedious legal proceedings prompt retraumatization of the victims.

In a previous Bulatlat report, child rights group Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns urged the government to act on OSAEC cases by addressing poverty. 

“Aside from strengthening programs for child protection at both the national and local levels, the long-term solution to eradicating OSAEC is to address extreme poverty,” Trixie Manalo, spokesperson of Salinlahi, said in an earlier statement.

Protection against abuse and violence is also among the key demands of the children’s sector for the 2025 midterm elections. Salinlahi is among the groups who craft the children’s electoral agenda, challenging candidates to prioritize pro-children policies.

Read: Children’s rights, welfare as election agenda

The Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act is a Philippine law designed to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. It implements comprehensive strategies to prevent, identify, and penalize these crimes, strengthening law enforcement protocols, enhancing international collaboration, and providing essential support services for victims. The law also holds internet service providers and digital platforms accountable for OSAEC and CSAEM incidents.

CHR said that there are gaps in the “child-sensitive handling of OSAEC cases—from reporting mechanisms and rescue operations to rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.” 

These gaps worsen the trauma of the victims and also contribute to the culture of underreporting, particularly in cases where the parents are the perpetrators. CHR recommended to uphold the best interests of the child by providing child-sensitive and trauma-informed rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

“The Commission also underscores the importance of providing appropriate psychological and financial interventions not only to affected children but also to family members who may have committed abuse—acknowledging the need for comprehensive rehabilitation to break cycles of exploitation,” CHR said.

Other CHR recommendations were the use of pre-recorded testimonies to prevent retraumatization of the victims, sustained OSAEC awareness campaigns, poverty alleviation programs, stronger collaboration with internet service providers, offline and community-based recreational activities for children, and enhanced oversight and accountability mechanisms through the Congressional Oversight Committee.

The Philippines is signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC), requiring the government to ensure that every child is protected, respected, and supported. Online sexual abuse is also prohibited in the reinforcement of the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography. (RTS, DAA)