SC rolls out ‘Justice Zones’ to combat online child abuse in Northern Mindanao

Nearly half a million Filipino children have been abused and exploited to produce images, videos and live streams sold to offenders around the world, says Judge Maria Filomena Singh

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, September 3, established three “Justice Zones” in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Ozamiz in Northern Mindanao to coordinate government efforts in the fight against online child sexual exploitation.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said the “Justice Zone” initiative is a joint effort whereby the Supreme Court, together with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), can coordinate and streamline efforts against online child sexual exploitation, which has surged in the Philippines and made it a hotspot for virtual child pornography.

“The final point is that this crime targets the most vulnerable in our society – those whom our systems and institutions of justice, care and protection should prioritize and protect,” Gesmundo said.

Gesmundo noted that the Department of Justice received a staggering report of 2.74 million cybertips about online child pornography in the country, placing the Philippines second only to India.

The Philippines has also been identified as a global center for the production of child pornography by the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that works to protect people in poverty from violence.

Nearly half a million Filipino children have been abused and exploited to produce images, videos and live streams that they sell to criminals around the world, according to statistics from Judge Maria Filomena Singh.

“These horrific statistics mean that one in every 100 Filipino children is a victim,” Singh said.

According to the IJM, most international sex offenders lure children, often in collaboration with their Filipino parents, to perform in live streams on the internet or to post images and videos online.

The organization also reported that nearly a quarter of a million Filipino adults are involved in child trafficking to produce new child abuse material.

“It is relatively easy to detect the production of online child pornography by monitoring internet use and international money transfers. Often it is the parents or relatives who are involved,” said Justice Minister Crispin Remulla.

Officials cited as an example the arrest of a woman on July 21 by the Iligan City Task Force against Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. She was arrested for allegedly “using, persuading, inciting, engaging, directing and facilitating” six children in Suarez Village, Iligan.

The six children, three of whom were the suspect’s, were handed over to the Iligan City Social Welfare and Development Office.

“It is clear that we cannot allow this to continue – and we will not allow this to continue,” Gesmundo said.

According to Gesmundo, it is a challenge because government prosecutors and law enforcement agencies struggle to deal with the complexity of crime involving technology.

He said this is the reason why ‘Justice Zones’ have been established in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Ozamiz, where several reports of online child pornography have been made.

“It goes beyond the victim-survivors who are exploited for sexual purposes using information and communication technologies. There are demand-side perpetrators and supply-side perpetrators, as well as financial transactions. These factors highlight the difficulty,” Gesmundo said.

“Justice Zones” were also launched in other major cities in the country, including Cebu, Iloilo, Baguio and Davao. Rappler.com