PNP intensifies drive against online sexual abuse, exploitation of children

June 12, 2020

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said they will go after cybercriminals as they intensified their campaign against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

Police recorded 3,699 cases of violence against women and children during the ECQ period from March 17 to June 4.

This is 44.7 percent lower than the 6,689 cases recorded during previous 76-day period from January 1 to March 16, 2020.

“I am operationalizing the One Network project under the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management (DICTM). This will establish network connections from the National Headquarters to 17 police regional offices nationwide,” said PNP chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa said.

Gamboa said it is the main highway where the audio, video, and data communication of the PNP will pass through, making it easier to transfer information and track down cybercriminals.

The PNP also is providing law enforcement support to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, and the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography  with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and other concerned agencies to strengthen the fight against child exploitation and abuse of women.

“Further to this, we continue to strengthen our coordination with our foreign counterparts in the field of international law enforcement to track these suspects of child exploitation online who are usually foreigners in different parts of the world,” Gamboa said.

Gamboa stressed that even with the numbers going down, they cannot ease in their pursuit against lawless elements.

“The PNP is fully prepared to go after them using technology, with One Network linking information, reports and data,” he said.

Along with the CHR and DOJ, the PNP thru Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) urged the public to report any form of online sexual exploitation and human trafficking.  Ella Dionisio/DMS