The protection and nurturing of the family and family values was once the most important commitment of Church and state. The family, that bedrock institution of society is continually being undermined and destroyed by the gross immorality that pervades society and its institutions. The proliferation of unrestricted, unblocked child abuse images on the Internet are partially to blame. Good parents must be aware and alarmed at the danger that this poses to their children who have easy access.
The Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns highlighted that extreme fragility when families were confined to their homes. Schools were closed for two years and movement in public was greatly restricted. In a nation like the Philippines where 17.7 million people live in dire poverty, such overcrowding and compact living has negative, harmful effects on family life. Child physical and sexual abuse exploded as a result. Recent statistics of the number of child victims being referred to protection healing centres show that the sexual abuse of children by parents has greatly increased.
Adult parents and children were in contact with the outside world only by television and an Internet connection during lockdowns The uncontrolled and unfiltered availability of child abuse images and video sex shows of child abuse likely led to the horrific upsurge and release of evil impulses and desires of adults for sexual satisfaction through abusing their own children.
One of hundreds if not thousands, is a 12-year-old named Elda [not her real name]. In October and December 2020, and again in January 2021, she was raped by her biological father in their house in Calapacuan, Subic, Zambales. She was so scared of her father and thought that no one would believe her so she told no one.
Her mother separated from her father in 2018, but he later took custody of the children. In July 2021, Elda’s father beat her and her little brother and she went to her aunt and uncle and told them of all the abuse that happened to them.
On the basis of her credible testimony and medical evidence, her father was convicted to three life sentences for the rape of his child. That’s what awaits anyone who is convicted of molesting a child under 16-years-old
They immediately contacted the municipal social worker and Elda was rescued and brought to the Preda Foundation’s healing home for abused children. After she recovered emotionally and was empowered by Emotional Release Therapy, she filed a legal complaint against her abusive father. She bravely testified in court and withstood cross examination. Her testimony was upheld. Her father’s defence was denial.
On the basis of her credible testimony and medical evidence, her father was convicted to three life sentences for the rape of his child. That’s what awaits anyone who is convicted of molesting a child under 16-years-old.
We can’t be sure if child abuse images led led him to commit such heinous crimes but we do know that images are easily available even on Facebook. Besides, online sexual abuse of children, paid for by foreign pedophiles, has grown extensively. The Philippines is the international hub for this kind of online child abuse.
During the lockdowns, many pedophiles were unable to travel to poor nations to sexually exploit children, but arranged to pay for shows over the internet. The parents are the main perpetrators. The telecommunication companies have not installed any effective software to block this child abuse as the law mandates them to do. They claim to block access to child abuse websites supplied by a non-government organisation, Internet Watch Foundation, yet there has been no external verification.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Recently, a shocking social media channel on YouTube and Facebook named Usapang Diskarte [meaning: Let’s Talk Strategy], instead of being blocked, went viral last July when it was discovered to be promoting sex abuse of children and giving pedophiles lessons on how to groom, seduce and lure children into having sex with adults.
The Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit of the Philippine National Police immediately applied for and was granted a warrant demanding that Youtube and Facebook to reveal the people behind the postings. It’s not clear if the search warrants can be enforced in the Philippines.
Department of Justice secretary, Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, reminded telecommunication corporations and the Internet Service Providers that they must obey the cybercrime law and protect children by blocking the accesibiilty of such channels, chat rooms and child abuse images through their servers. The secretary will come to know that the telcos are more powerful than the rule of law and government.
The only time the government will stop the Internet is when it itself under online attack. They will see that as an act of terrorism and the draconian cyber-libel law will be fully deployed to protect government officials. The sexual exploitation and abuse of millions of Filipino children and others worldwide is a form of terrorism and the laws, especially the new online child protection law, must be swiftly and strictly implemented.
Reports of sexual abuse of students in seminaries and in the parishes of Batanes are crying out for investigation and justice for the victims. The culture of silence and cover up must be broken and school principals and clergy must aggressively defend the victims’ right to justice as priority, not the suspected abusers. May justice prevail
Schools, parishes and seminaries are infiltrated by pedophiles. One in every three or four children experience some act of sex abuse before they reach 18 so that indicates how widespread the problem is. It is becoming blatant on social media.
At Bacoor National High School in Cavite, six or more teachers are under investigation as several have been accused of sexual harassment on internet chat rooms. Bringing teachers to justice is a long and tiring process. The school institutions have little fighting spirit to pursue justice and protect the students. They do more, it seems, to protect the abusive teachers.
Take the administrative case against a teacher in New Cabalan National High School in Olongapo City. In March 2019, three male students accused him of sexually abusing them in a hotel room. The case dragged on until finally, on 12 May 2022, after more than three years, the Department of Education Central Office finally upheld the decision of regional director, May Eclar, finding Franco Aranas guilty of grave misconduct for sexually abusing the three male minors.
Until then, he was still actively teaching at the school. Two criminal cases against him are still crawling through the justice system after three years and justice has yet to be served.
Reports of sexual abuse of students in seminaries and in the parishes of Batanes are crying out for investigation and justice for the victims. The culture of silence and cover up must be broken and school principals and clergy must aggressively defend the victims’ right to justice as priority, not the suspected abusers. May justice prevail.
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
