'We must do more': Marcos emotional over sexual abuse, exploitation of children

Manila Bulletin

Unable to hold his emotions back, President Marcos vowed that the government would do better to address what he called a "dark reality" that many Filipino youth have fallen victim to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/16/we-must-do-more-marcos-emotional-over-sexual-abuse-exploitation-of-children  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

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00:00As I was listening to the young lady, and she is a lady, I could not help but shed a

00:13tear to think, to try, to have to relive the suffering that she went through and

00:23to think how many other children are even, as we hear, sit in this fancy hotel room,

00:32eating our fancy food, continuing to suffer the same fate as she has.

00:42And accompanying those tears that I just shed was a deep sense of shame because we have

00:50not done enough for the Philippines to now be considered the epicenter of, let us not

00:59shorten it into a clinical term, of SAIC.

01:05It is sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

01:11And I leave it to your imagination, and I would imagine in some cases your imagination

01:16cannot even begin to fathom what is done to these poor children, to our poor children.

01:25And so we must do more.

01:28We must do more.

01:31The Filipino culture, one of the most important part of the Filipino culture is family.

01:40We are known around the world for that.

01:44We are so well known for it that we are, Filipinos are the number one, are the number

01:52one caretakers of foreign children all around the world.

01:59I go and travel and meet important leaders all around the world, and they say, and I'm

02:08talking about kings and queens and presidents and prime ministers, and they say to me, I

02:15was raised by a Filipina.

02:17My second mother is a Filipina.

02:21And that's what we Filipinos are.

02:24We love our families.

02:25We adore our children.

02:29And for us to allow this to happen in our country brings to me an overwhelming sense

02:36of shame because being government, being in public service, we are not doing enough.

02:44We must do more.

02:46However, I am happy that we have now, together with the Interagency Council Against Trafficking

02:54and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, that we have had now this conference

03:01and the IJM has organized this very important event.

03:08We are here today to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time.

03:14The challenges that we face in government are always the challenges that are brought

03:19to us by the future.

03:21And what exemplifies our future more, what symbolizes our future more than our children?

03:27And that is why this strikes at the very heart of our society.

03:31It undermines the foundations of what we are, of who we are as a people.

03:38In every community that is alive with the laughter and the chatter of children, there

03:44is a dark reality where half a million Filipinos, one in every 100 Filipinos has been victimized.

03:52It is an appalling statistic.

03:55We cannot allow this to continue.

03:58We will not allow it to continue.

04:01This is a horrible scourge of online sexual abuse or exploitation of children or Osaki,

04:08which remains widespread now in our country.

04:11It's not a distant problem, or the victims just faceless and dameless children.

04:19Perhaps we do not know them.

04:21Perhaps we do not, we're not related to them.

04:26But they are all our children.

04:28They are Filipinos.

04:30We do not even have to go through the exercise of trying to imagine, oh, what would I feel

04:37if it happened to our children?

04:39Doesn't matter.

04:40Just look at the child.

04:41Think of any child, any child.

04:46They live within our midst and several may be the sons, daughters of those people we

04:50know.

04:52Their smiles, their brave smiles, innocent smiles, conceal the pain that is our nation's

05:00shame as the sad reality is that many perpetrators are the victims' families or relatives, the

05:07very people that we expect to care for them.

05:12And as this is a battle that we must not lose and we will not lose, this administration

05:17created the Presidential Office for Child Protection, or POCP, which is a critical

05:23step in our fight against this crisis.

05:26The POCP will serve as the epicenter of our efforts, bringing together resources and strategies

05:31to ensure that every child in our country is protected and supported.

05:36On the legislative side, such as the Anti-Osaic and Anti-CSAEM Act, as well as the expanded

05:43Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, also underscore a relentless pursuit to bring

05:50these perpetrators to justice.

05:53Furthermore, our Tier 1 status in the Trafficking in Persons Report shows that we as a country

06:01have made earnest efforts and leadership in combating the crimes of human trafficking

06:08and Osaic.

06:10We have also set a global example of effective law enforcement collaborating with Philippine

06:15Internet Crimes Against Children, or the PICA.

06:19The Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center reported that it has rescued

06:24more than 1,099 victims of trafficking in persons and Osaic, and arrested more than

06:31100 suspects from 2022 to July of 2024.

06:38This might give us some satisfaction.

06:42If that is how many that we have apprehended, if that is the number of the children that

06:49we have saved, I cannot help but thinking how many are still left out there.

06:58That is a minority.

06:59That is not the majority of the victims.

07:01That is not the majority of these perpetrators.

07:04That is the minority.

07:07And we need to do more.

07:10It serves as a testament that this administration has an unwavering dedication to ending this

07:17kind of abuse.

07:20Be assured, we are fully committed to ensuring and protecting our children, who are the most

07:24vulnerable members of our society.

07:28It is our utmost priority to protect our innocents, perfect little beings who are being

07:41hurt for money by the people that they trust.

07:47So to everyone here, this summit is a significant waypoint, a moment to reflect on our progress

07:54and renew our commitment to eradicating Osaic.

07:57To our international partners, we extend our gratitude for your aid to us in continuing

08:05this fight.

08:06Your support has been valuable in our mission to save children, rescue victims, and give

08:11them a chance to start over.

08:14As we move forward, let us reflect on our roles in this critical battle.

08:19To the DSWD, the DOH, DOJ, DEPED, DILG, let us stand firmly by our sworn duty to protect

08:27the innocent children who have no power to defend themselves and have only us to look

08:33to to do that for them.

08:36Continue to develop training programs.

08:38Ensure that our law enforcement, the prosecution, social workers, teachers, other public servants

08:43are well-equipped to handle these cases.

08:46Strengthen our criminal justice system to the end that all who perpetrate this abhorrent

08:53crime are put behind bars and made to pay for what they have done.

08:59And everyone should think not only twice, but three, but four, five, ten, one hundred

09:07times before committing this abuse again.

09:10I have said it before, I will say it again.

09:13This administration will do everything, we will spare no effort, to combat these heinous

09:19crimes against our children.

09:22The LGUs have a unique position, as they are positioned to foster an environment where

09:29child abuse is not tolerated.

09:32Leverage your knowledge and experience to ensure that no child falls victim to OSIAC.

09:38With the launching of report OSIAC, we, hashtag report OSIAC, we are hopeful that this will

09:43help increase community awareness of what OSIAC is, how we can prevent it, how we can

09:50help those who are suffering from these abuses, and the legal consequences from committing

09:55what we consider as the worst crime against humanity.

10:00To our communities, this administration implores you to be suspicious, be watchful, and report

10:07even the slightest inkling of abuse.

10:12I reiterate my message in the State of the Nation Address, let us not turn a blind eye

10:17to wrongdoings because passivity enables evil to perpetuate.

10:22One call to the Makabata Helpline, 1383, can save one child.

10:28Let us all make the Philippines the absolute worst place for those who abuse and exploit

10:34children.

10:35To our victims and survivors, your story is to continue to push us in the right direction.

10:41Your extraordinary courage motivates us to do better.

10:46Look at this young lady, what she has made of herself, besides all the evil that has

10:54been perpetrated to her and the people around her.

10:59And yet she has made something of herself.

11:02And this is what we destroy when we allow these exploiters to continue with doing what

11:12they are doing.

11:14That is what we destroy.

11:15We destroy that hope, that possibility, that life that is God-given and should not be taken

11:26away by anyone but God himself.

11:31We cannot even begin to imagine the horrors that they face.

11:35It's not their burden to carry alone.

11:38The entire government is with you.

11:41We hold your hand and walk along the arduous path towards healing and recovery.

11:47As we were discussing many of the measures that we are trying to put into place, I reminded

11:53all the heads of the different agencies, what we are trying to do here, what is the most

11:58important part of this work that we are trying to do here, is to save the child, save that

12:06life.

12:08That should be always our primary consideration because life, when taken away, can never be

12:15returned.

12:17And for whatever we do, a part of that child's life has already been permanently taken away.

12:24Perhaps we can offer another option, another form, another chance at a good life.

12:34And that's what we have to always remember.

12:37This is not about crime.

12:39This is not about money.

12:42This is not about exploitation.

12:44It is about preserving and saving and making sure that our future is bright.

12:52Our children are our future.

12:53Let us save them.

12:55Let us keep them safe.

12:56Let us keep them healthy.

12:58Let us keep them strong.

13:00Because that way, we keep our future safe and healthy and strong.

13:06It is that existential in its importance.

13:09We are resolute in our commitment to provide services that will help move the victims forward,

13:17such as therapy, reintegration to DSWD and its partners, including, of course, the IJM.

13:23Let us build a world where justice and compassion prevail and every child's safety and dignity

13:29are upheld.

13:31Because of Bagong Pilipinas, we are risking and protecting our children.

13:37In Bagong Pilipinas, we are giving hope to the victims.

13:42In Bagong Pilipinas, we are ensuring that there will be an answer to those who are guilty.

13:49Together, let us finish the discussion.

14:00For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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