CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) – In celebration of World Day Against Trafficking (WDAT), slated every July 30, the Department of Justice (DOJ)-10, the City Council for the Protection of Children, and the Project Against Child Exploitation (ACE) gathered youth organizations in the city to discuss details of Republic Act 11930, or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act.
PCol. Lemuel Gonda, the chief of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU), and Deputy City Prosecutor Ruby Malanog gave an overview of OSAEC and its consequences.
Gonda highlighted RA 11930, known as the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act. According to him, the term “child pornography” will be replaced by OSAEC or CSAEM. He continued that this is considered the worst form of child labor.
“Kung nagpasa ka didto sa messenger sa imong kauban og mga nude pictures sa bata, automatic your account will be detected, and you will be investigated. If there are more than three CSAEM pictures nga naa sa imo, you will be liable for that case; pwede kang kasuhan,” said Gonda.
(If you spread nude pictures of children on Messenger, your account will automatically be detected, and you will be investigated. If you have more than three CSAEM pictures, you will be liable for that case, and you may be sued.)
For her part, Malanog said the number of victims has increased, which can be attributed to the fact that more individuals are reporting such incidents. She added that the youngest recorded victim was three months old, indicating that the victims are becoming younger.
“Right now, it is very challenging to identify and prosecute perpetrators, especially in Cagayan de Oro. It is so difficult kay ang victims, sad to say, sila mismo ang ga-protect sa mga perpetrators kay for them, the perpetrators are their angels,” said Malanog.
(The victims themselves are protecting the perpetrators because, for them, the perpetrators are their angels.)
The prosecutor further emphasized that OSAEC victims are considered victims of a violent crime and are entitled to compensation under the Department of Justice’s Board of Claims. For now, the maximum that they can be given is P10,000, and the claim must be filed within six months from when the incident happened.Gonda also stated that the legal consequences of OSAEC include a life sentence penalty and no bail bond. “Sa OSAEC, akong iklaro, wala’y settlement ani, wala siya. Kung magsettle ang parents, apilon ang parents og kaso,” he said.
(To be clear, there is no settlement when it comes to OSAEC; if the parents want a settlement, they will be sued as well.)
A multidisciplinary team made up of the police, prosecutor, and social worker will provide support for victims of OSAEC, said Gonda. He added that the treatment for OSAEC victims differs from that of rape victims. (LREMS/PIA-10)
