DOJ sees 264% increase in reports of online sexual exploitation of children amid lockdown

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has seen a 264.63% increase in reports of online sexual exploitation of children connected to the Philippines in the last three months, a period that coincides with stay-at-home measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DOJ's cybercrime office received 279,166 reports from an international nonprofit's network from March 1 to May 24, a large increase from the 76,561 reports it got during the same time last year, the department said Monday.

The figures represent reports of online sexual exploitation of children in which either the victim or the offender is located in the Philippines, the DOJ said. The department's cybercrime office, being the point of contact to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), is notified of every such report.

"The aforesaid increase in NCMEC CTRs (CyberTypline Report) is attributable to the fact that during the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), strict home quarantine is observed in all households, and internet usage surges as people stay home," the DOJ said in a statement.

But not all reports are categorized as "actual cases" in the Philippines, the DOJ said, explaining that they are only made available to law enforcement for review and potential investigation. It said the numbers can also increase because of viral photos or videos that get reported multiple times, "misleading" digital images, or inaccurate reporting.

From March 15 to May 21, 22 cases were referred to the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC), a cooperation among local and international law enforcement agencies to fight child exploitation in the country.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said there were other referrals to the National Bureau of Investigation and to the Philppine National Police.

Authorities conducted 10 operations, made seven arrests, and rescued 34 children during this period. Four complaints were filed with prosecution offices and two cases are on trial, the DOJ said, citing data from the PICACC.

Meanwhile, the DOJ said internet service providers (ISP) or telecommunication companies have not installed the technology that will block or filter out materials that exploit children, 11 years after the enactment of the law against child pornography.

Perete said the DOJ is confident ISPs will comply with the law.

"They know that such a legal obligation is automatically read into their franchises and permits to operate. And they realize, more than anyone, that without such technology, this trend of victimization of children who are the most vulnerable among us will remain unabated," Perete said in a statement.

The official said the DOJ is also in "constant dialogue" with social media companies like Facebook and Twitter especially when it requests the retrieval or preservation of data that can be used as evidence.

"But our dialogue with ISPs is towards preventive action (thru the installation of filtering and blocking technology," he said in a message to reporters. — RSJ, GMA News