MINDANAO Peace Council and Mindanao Coalition on Children’s Rights Co-Convener Secretary General Vince Molejon said in a media interview on Wednesday morning, November 8, at the Ayala Malls Abreeza that Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (Osaec) has been one of the major problems that children are facing in Mindanao.
Thus, he said the coalition is planning to extend its reach and add more chapters in other areas.
He emphasized that together with the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), and other advocacy organizations campaigning to stop Osaec.
“Kay for the past years since the pandemic, for the first time in history, the Philippines nag-rank number one sa Osaec, nag-rank ta number one pero sa Osaec (For the past years since the pandemic, for the first time in history the Philippines ranked number one for Osaec, we ranked number one but in Osaec),” Molejon said.
He pointed out that the coalition has received a lot of reports concerning abuse and exploitation of children but because of the Child Rights Protection the coalition cannot divulge information about this.
However, if a report is made to the coalition they make sure to deliver it to the authorities and expedite the process by connecting to concerned and aligned agencies of the government. Presently, the coalition has assisted more than 100 Osaec cases all over the Philippines as of August 30, 2023.
Molejon narrated that some of the perpetrators of Osaec cases are parents of the victim but when questioned, they would simply reply that they did not know what they were doing and they only took pictures of the child dancing. He added that the parents have no direct intention to exploit the child but indirectly they are exploited online.
“Children are exploited because of fear kanang dili pa man sila kabalo mo-express and perhaps some of them do not know na kini diay ginabuhat sa ila kay that is already a violation of their children's right (Children are exploited because of fear since they cannot express themselves and perhaps some of them do not know that what are being done to them is already a violation of their children’s right),” Molejon said.
Also, the coalition in partnership with Kiwanis International and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos-Davao Region will be celebrating the 34th International Children's Day on November 20, 2023, at the Ayala Malls Abreeza Activity Center. The event is in line with Executive Order 7 series of 2009 by then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte wherein he tasked the coalition to lead the commemoration of the Children's Day here in the city, in conjunction with the UN Declaration on the Convention of the Rights of Child since 1989 adopting the resolution to hold the celebration every year. RGP