GABRIELA Women’s Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas stressed the need for an urgent investigation over the rising cases of online sexual exploitation of children, especially with the health pandemic and calamities making young ones more vulnerable to abuse.

Brosas said eight out of 10 Filipino kids are at risk of online sexual abuse, putting the country in a global hotspot as per reports from the United Nations Children’s Fund in observance of the World Children’s Day.

The lady solon said despite the figures, there remains to be an urgent government response to at least address and investigate these cases of violence against children.

“And the worst part about these is that more and more victims have to deal with the bad experience as they grow,” Brosas added.

Brosas together with other Makabayan bloc partylists filed House Resolution 1313 urging the House Committee on the Welfare of Children to probe the alarming spike in the online sexual exploitation of children amid the pandemic.

The Gabriela solon stressed the dire impacts of the pandemic and the recent calamities are pushing more families to enjoin their children in online sexual exploitation due to worsening poverty, noting that most cases are usually family-based crimes.

Based on studies, the median age of the victims is 11 years old, while the length of abuse suffered by children ranges from two months to four years.

Gabriela is supporting the move of Yedda Marie Romualdez, chairperson of the House Committee on Welfare of Children, to initiate a congressional probe on the issue.

“We hope the committee will schedule this investigation at the soonest time possible so that we can work on proposed amendments on our laws to strengthen the protection of children from online predators and organized syndicates,” Brosas said.