Senator Risa Hontiveros speaks during a Senate hearing. (File photo from Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� A resolution asking the Senate to look into the alarming spike in cases of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) has been filed.
Resolution No. 1307 is also calling for an investigation of the proliferation of OSAEC criminal networks using online chat platforms.
In filing the proposal, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros cited Deep Web Konek鈥檚 report, which said thousands of Filipino minors were reportedly victimized 鈥渙r involved鈥� in OSAEC-related criminal activities in chat platforms.
鈥淎ccording to the report, the team identified more than 100 private channels dedicated to illicit digital content, with the largest channel boasting over 100,000 members and accumulating more than 40,000 digital files such as videos and photos,鈥� Hontiveros鈥� resolution reads.
鈥淭ransactions were primarily conducted through e-wallets, particularly GCash, with mule accounts and disposable digital wallets used to obscure [the] money trail,鈥� it adds.
According to Hontiveros, the report also documented cases of parents being complicit in the trafficking of their children.
The opposition senator emphasized the need to probe the matter because despite the passage of Republic Act No, 11930, the advent of emerging technologies, the transnational nature of some OSAEC-related transactions, and the growth of underground digital financial systems have made it 鈥渃hallenging鈥� for law enforcers to detect the crimes and go after the offenders.