STOP CHILD PORNOGRAPHY!
Philippines top global source of child pornography – Unicef
8 out of 10 Filipino children at risk of online sexual abuse or bullying
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has become a top global source of child pornography with around 80% of Filipino kids at risk of online sexual abuse or bullying, a global Unicef report said Tuesday, December 12.
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This year's State of the World’s Children report, entitled "Children in a Digital World," focused on the opportunities and risks for children online.
One in 3 internet users globally is a child, the report said. The pervasiveness of the internet coupled with less supervision from parents has opened a myriad of possibilities, some of which are potentially dangerous.
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Websites, mobile apps and online payment methods have helped accelerate the proliferation of sex trafficking and “made to order” child pornography. (Rappler Talk: Sex trafficking in the digital age)
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“Child pornography is a billion-dollar industry, and Filipino children are the ones being traded and exploited online. Children who are made to perform sex acts in front of a web camera will never get their childhood back. We must all work together to protect our children,” Unicef Country Representative Lotta Sylwander said.
The report noted that online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) was the leading form of cybercrime in 2014. One case study cited by Unicef showed that while abuse starts in the digital space, it can lead to physical prostitution.(READ: Facebook groups open more channels for PH cybersex trade – study)
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In the case study, a 12-year-old Filipino girl was forced to livestream sexual acts from her neighbor’s house, earning about $3 for each "show." Her clients later flew in from the United States to the Philippines, and she would have been sexually maltreated had she not been rescued by the authorities.
This poses a threat not only to a child’s mental wellness but also to his/her health. The report noted that there are some 5,200 10-19 year-olds and around 500 children under age 15 living with HIV.
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How we can end child pornography today
The war against child pornography has a long way to go, but it can be won
Child pornography is like a deadly endemic disease with no known treatment that spreads more rapidly through third world countries.
It is so contagious that it goads uneducated parents to sell their child in front of a computer in return for money. With technology and the Internet going hand in hand, disposal of their ‘products’ are transferred in a matter of seconds.
Unfortunately, the conspicuous efforts of the authorities may sometimes seem to be sluggish in stopping or lessening the rapid surge of child exploitation in the Philippines.
Child porn hotspot
According to research, the Philippines, Cambodia and Thailand are among the top 10 sources of child pornography in the world.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Pampanga are the primary sources of internet child pornography in our country.
Recently, a computer-generated Filipina girl named ‘Sweetie’ lured thousands of pervert-minded men from all over the world.
During the 10-week surveillance period in Amsterdam, about 20,000 men contacted her - 1,000 of them offering money to perform illicit acts in front of the computer.
According to the research, Sweetie will never be used again because she did her job in entrapping the purveyors of child pornography.
The fact that Terre des Hommes International Federation created a replica of a juvenile from the Philippines connotes that our country is a well-known source of child exploitation. (READ: PH a global source for child sex industry - police)
Truth hurts!
CHILD PORN & POVERTY. How do we break the deadly link between these two?
Poverty not to blame
Though it may be a significant factor, poverty shouldn’t be blamed alone for the prevalence of child pornography in the country.
If we dig deeper, we'll find that corruption plays a major role in facilitating pornography.
If the billions-worth of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scam, Malampaya Scam, Fertilizer Fund Scam were properly used for infrastructure, education, health, housing, livelihood projects, etc; we won’t be hearing news about mothers or guardians forcing their children to remove their clothes in front of the camera.
If these children can go to school regularly, they can focus on their studies and not on making ends meet for their families.
If the parents or guardians of these youths work hard enough to earn a living in a moral way, no youngster would be exposed to abuse, whether real or virtual.
If these mothers or guardians are morally guided by the right values, they won’t shove their children to execute indecent acts in return for money. They have to remember that Skype won’t solve their financial woes.
If these mothers or guardians are well-informed about the existing penalties and fines of the anti-child pornography act (R.A. 9775), they’ll hesitate to urge their own children to perform humiliating activities.
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-Nikko Bacason
Letter: Stop child pornography
I finished reading the newspaper the other day and it was filled with murders, child abuse, criticisms, bashing the president, speeding car accidents, shootings, disasters, fires and floods. All these are tragedies. But by far the worst (in my opinion) was sex abuse by a doctor.
Parents take their child to a doctor and expect that the doctor, after his years and years of training, practice and caring for patients, will care for their child, protect them and help them be healthy. I can't begin to say how despicable it would be to find that he was not only not taking care of their precious child, or children, but abusing them with "treatment" that may affect them negatively for the rest of their lives.
Child pornography is so evil to the innocent children who are too young to defend themselves, but also may be damaging for them, their siblings, their parents and families, their friends, and can and does lead to depression and suicidal behavior. We need someone to step up and say "abolish pornography in all its forms" and then do it.
-Sonia Baczuk
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