IJM: 500,000 Filipino children fall prey to sexual abuses

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NEARLY half a million Filipino children have experienced sexual abuse.

This is a figure that translates to one in every 100 children in the country, according to a study cited by the International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines.

Lawyer Lovelie Faith Entoma-Forcadilla of IJM Philippines revealed the data during the MyTV Cebu Open Line News Media Forum on Tuesday, March 10.

Entoma-Forcadilla said their 2022 study estimated that around 500,000 Filipino children have been victims of sexual abuse, highlighting the scale of the problem nationwide.

“That’s equivalent to one in every 100 Filipino children,” she said.

She added that in many cases, abuse is committed by people within the child’s own circle.

Data presented during the forum showed that 41 percent of recorded cases involved parents selling sensitive images of their own children online, while another 42 percent involved relatives.

Reports from 2010 to 2017 have also identified the Philippines as one of the global hotspots for the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, particularly online.

Entoma-Forcadilla said several factors contribute to the prevalence of these crimes, including increased internet connectivity, the ability of many Filipinos to communicate in English, which facilitates interaction with foreign offenders, and the perception among perpetrators that the risk of being caught is low.

She also pointed to a persistent cultural mindset in some communities that discourages victims from speaking out.

“There is still that thinking that what happens in the family should remain in the family,” she said.

Because of this, Entoma-Forcadilla urged the public to be vigilant and report suspected cases of abuse instead of ignoring them.

“Don’t stay silent. Don’t turn a blind eye,” she said, jokingly encouraging the public to “be a good ‘SaMarites,’” a colloquial reference to people who share information within communities.

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas recorded 19 complaints for violations of Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, in 2025.

Police Lt. Col. Janette Rafter, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center–Visayas Field Unit, said only one conviction has been secured so far from the cases filed last year.

The Safe Spaces Act, also known as the “Bawal Bastos Act,” penalizes gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, workplaces, schools, and online platforms.

These acts include catcalling, wolf-whistling, leering, and persistent or unwanted sexual advances, whether from strangers, acquaintances, or colleagues.

Violators may face penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offense.

Rafter also stressed that children should never be blamed in cases of online sexual abuse or exploitation.

“Accountability lies with the suspects and perpetrators,” she said.

She explained that such acts constitute exploitation against vulnerable children.

When asked about the role of poverty in online sexual exploitation, Rafter said some offenders become dependent on the money they earn from exploiting children online.

This financial motivation, she said, can drive perpetrators to continue the abuse despite the harm inflicted on victims.(TGP)