Daily Archives: April 13, 2020

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“Human trafficking and COVID-19”

By: Marielle DSJ Chico

The impact of COVID-19 is not confined to sickness and death.

The shutdown of major economic sectors and the prohibition of social activities leaves the vast majority of Filipinos without a source of income and very limited means to socialize. According to We Are Social’s Global Digital Report 2019 , 71 percent of the Philippine population spend an average of four hours a day on social media. The percentage and the hours could be much higher in these times of quarantine. The lack of income and being locked into social media can lead to dangerous situations.

One of the growing concerns in the country is the increase of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) cases. According to the “Child Trafficking Situationer” of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), 65 percent of persons trafficked were women and 21 percent were children. More alarmingly, the Philippines is considered as a top global source of child pornography, with around 80 percent of Filipino kids at risk of online sexual abuse or bullying (UNICEF report, 2017).
A recent article by the Thomson Reuters Foundation entitled “Coronavirus fuels cybersex trafficking fears for children in Southeast Asia” points out that the ongoing pandemic and the consequent lockdowns are expected to cause an increase in the number of cybersex trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. UNICEF warns that an increase in online exposure for 1.5 million children is expected with the closing of schools in at least 165 countries. This puts children at a high risk of being victimized by sexual predators.
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