SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday pressed for the urgent strengthening of anti-trafficking laws to address the surge of online child sexual exploitation cases in the country.

The Department of Justice received 2.8 million reports of online sexual abuse of children in 2021, more than twice the 1.3 million recorded in 2020.

According to the DoJ’s Office of Cybercrime, most of the 2.8 million cases were not actionable because these were either submitted multiple times, misleading, or erroneously reported.

In its annual report, it said that it investigated 268 cases in 2021, almost four times the 73 cases handled in 2020.

Considering the increasing vulnerability of children to different forms of violence amid the Covid19 pandemic, Gatchalian highlighted the need for Congress to amend trafficking laws to allow a stronger crackdown on child exploitation cases as well as different forms of human trafficking.

In November 2021, Gatchalian co-sponsored Senate Bill 2449 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021.

The proposed measure aims to strengthen Republic Act 9208, as amended by Republic Act 10364, to provide standards and guidelines on surveillance, interception, investigation and prosecution of different forms of human trafficking.

The measure emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of businesses such as internet intermediaries, owners and operators of internet cafes, hotspots and kiosks, money transfer and remittance centers, banks, money service businesses, credit card companies, and financial institutions to prevent human trafficking.

The bill also seeks to reorganize the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to include agencies like the Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism, National Council on Disability Affairs, and the Council for the Welfare of Children.

Gatchalian also cited the role of the DepEd’s Child Protection Program to increase learners’ awareness on OSEC and other forms of violence against children.

“Sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga kaso ng pang-aabuso gamit ang internet, kailangan nating paigtingin ang pagbibigay ng proteksiyon sa ating mga kabataan at pagharang sa ganitong klaseng mga pang-aabuso. Napapanahon nang amyendahan natin ang ating mga batas laban sa human trafficking upang tuluyang masupil ang ganitong uri ng karahasan,” he said.