The Department of Justice on Sunday said the government is partnering with Facebook to gather information on several pages on social media websites that are allegedly used to promote sexual exploitation of children online.
A joint advisory issued by the DOJ-Office of Cybercrime, NBI-Anti-Human Trafficking Division and the PNP-Women and Children Protection Center late Saturday identified the Facebook pages as “Mahilig sa Bata,” Batang Masarap Spotted,” and “Samahan ng mga Mahihilig sa Bata” that are used to promote and facilitate exchanges of child sexual exploitation materials between and among its members.
“Initial investigation reveals that the administrators and members of said Facebook pages deliberately strategize to evade law enforcement authorities by regularly changing its names and keeping said pages private to the public,” the advisory said.
“We wish to assure the public that the matter has already been coordinated with the management of Facebook for purposes of obtaining computer data in relation to the said accounts, in furtherance of the former authorities’ investigation and for other law enforcement actions,” it added.
The advisory also urged the public to immediately report to the authorities similar pages that foster the distribution and publication of child sexual exploitation materials online.
Authorities also warned that possession, access and distribution of child pornography are prohibited and punishable under the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Individuals found guilty may be imprisoned for a minimum of four years up to 14 years and be meted a fine ranging from P200, 000 to P1 million.
Earlier, Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed concerns on the proliferation of such Faceboom pages that promote and distribute child sexual content online.
Law enforcement authorities have been asked to investigate the issue and run after those behind the said pages instead of going after critics of the Duterte administration.
Recently, a study released by the Washington-based International Justice Mission identified the Philippines as a global hotspot for online child sexual exploitation and that the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus may further exacerbate the problem.
Likewise, the United Nations Children’s Fund said in February that the Philippines is one of the top global sources of child sexual abuse materials, with 600, 000 photos of “sexualized” Filipino children bartered online in 2018 alone.