The Special Office for Children’s Concerns (SOCC) under the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) is intensifying its monitoring against alleged online sexual abuse and exploitation.
SOCC’e campaign is aimed at ensuring that children have no access to pornography when using the technology through internet cafes and “Pisonets.”
A “Pisonet” is an internet hub for internet users including children who only have a small amount of money to surf the internet and play online games.
Consorcia Ronquillo, head of SOCC, cited Republic Act 11930, known as the “Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act” which prohibits sexual exploitation among children.
“Mao na ang among ginasulong karon ang awareness campaign on OSAEC to end this problem kasi silent na kalaban nato karon sa mga kabataan lalo na ang ilang pag eskwela didto na mag research online and then ang mga pornograpiya ang atong tutukan kay problema kini pag abot sa online abuse and exploitation for children,” Ronquillo told media during I-Speak media forum on Thursday.
According to the law, child sexual abuse is “any form of communication through any platform or format, or any physical interaction between a child and any person when the child is being used for any act or activity inducing sexual stimulation or for the purpose of sexual gratification or in pursuit of the desire to have carnal knowledge of the child, regardless of the gender of the perpetrator or the victim, or the consent of the victim.”
Ronquillo said one of the targets of their intensified monitoring are internet cafes and “pisonets” in Davao City, particularly those do not have business permits through the help of the barangay captains.
“And with the help of the revitalized police sa barangay gipakusgan namo ang monitoring aning mga internet cafes apil ang mga “pisonet” kay naa ta’y balaod nga dili pasudlon ang mga bata labi na kung oras sa eskwela. Halos tanan barangays including Paquibato District ongoing ang among monitoring kay bisan sa Paquibato daghan na ug pisonet. Kasagaran sa mga pisonet walay business permits ug dali lang i-install. Even some of the internet cafes wala’y business permit,” she said.
She said they also seek the help of the Internet Café Association of Davao (ICAD) and Internet Café Accrediting Board of Davao City (ICAB) in curbing online sexual exploitation among children in the city.
“Nag come up nata ug series of meetings with partner agencies kung unsaon ni siya kay kani ang pinaka bug-at na problema karon,” she said.
