AS THE country celebrates the National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, the Commission on Human Rights urged Filipinos to take proactive efforts to help abolish sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

The celebration is held every second week of February as declared under Presidential Proclamation No. 731 issued in 1996.

The commission said that a “holistic approach” on sexual exploitation of minors requires both responsive efforts by the government and the public.

“Child sexual abuse and exploitation is cruel and deprives children the right to live a life of dignity free from violence and abuse,” CHR wrote on Facebook.

“Amidst the continuing problems due to the pandemic, some children have fallen prey to exploitative arrangements to provide for themselves and their family,” it added.

The agency stressed that one way of protecting children is for government officials to create laws that promote their human rights.

“Those who are experiencing sexual abuse and cruelty within their homes also often suffer in silence. Let us all step up our efforts to prevent and respond to the continuing cases of child abuse,” it stressed.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice-Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center, International Justice Mission, TikTok, PLDT and Smart joined hands to call on the public to take a stand against the livestreamed sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

Dubbed as #NotOnOurScreens, the agencies launched a campaign that aims to cultivate a culture of vigilance against the trafficking of Filipino children through the creation and propagation of child sexual exploitation material.

“The online sexual exploitation of children is the worst form of trafficking today. It is unfortunate that the internet is being used by unscrupulous individuals in this wrong and illegal way,” Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, DOJ-IACAT Undersecretary in charge, said.

“Thankfully, we have held several perpetrators accountable – at least 138 of them already serving their respective sentences, including life imprisonment,” Aglipay-Villar said.