Children play at the Rajah Sulayman Park in Malate, Manila on October 19, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday admitted to shedding tears as he “felt a deep sense of shame” over the prevalence of sexually-abused children in the country, making the Philippines the “epicenter” of child pornography in the world. 

• Over 300 million children a year face sexual abuse online: study

Marcos Jr. delivered his speech after listening to a woman, who as a child was locked up in a bar and forced to strip dance to entertain adult men. 

“I could not help but shed a tear to try to relive the suffering she went through and to think how many other children — as we sit in this comfortable hotel — are continuing to suffer the same fate as she had,” the President said. 

“Accompanying those tears shed is a deep sense of shame because we have not done enough,” he said. 

In 2022, nearly 1 in every 100 children in the Philippines “were trafficked to produce child sexual exploitation material for profit,” according to data from the International Justice Mission (IJM) and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab. 

“It is an appalling statistic. We cannot allow this to continue,” Marcos Jr. said. 

“I cannot help but think how many are still left out there? That is not the majority of victims, that is not the majority of perpetrators. That is the minority, and we need to do more,” he said. 

• The Filipino mothers selling their children for online sexual abuse

“This is a battle that we must not lose, and we will not lose,” he said, noting that the abuse of children goes against the Filipinos’ well-known love and value for family. 

In the first half of 2024, there were 22,421 children who experienced abuse, neglect and other types of violence in the Philippines, said Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. 

Of the 94 OSAEC operations conducted from January to September 2024, the Philippine National Police were able to rescue 169 victims, and arrested 51 suspects, he said. 

“Sa totoo lang bilang isang Pilipino, napakasakit na pakinggan nito,” Abalos said.

“We will do something about this… But it is time that other countries must penalize the end consumers, those who watch the videos. Each and every country must pass this law,” he said. 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has also instructed all local government units to pass ordinances to curb the rise of child abuse, he said. 

• PH considered hotspot for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children

The Philippines has mounted a summit to educate national and local officials, as well as private sector representatives on how to combat the online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC). 

“This administration implores you to be suspicious, be watchful and report even the slightest inkling of abuse,” the President said. 

“One call to the Makabata helpline 1383 can save one child… Save the child. Save that life, that should always be our primary consideration,” he said.

“Let us make the Philippines the absolute worst place for those who exploit children,” he said. 

Last week, the DILG reported that it has arrested alleged child abuser Teddy Jay Mejia, who is accused of coercing more than 100 children to either pose naked or be video-taped while being raped. 

Mejia's victims were aged between 9 and 15 years old, the DILG chief said.

RELATED VIDEO