‘Silent pandemic’: emotional call by Philippines’ Marcos Jnr against child pornography sparks nationwide soul-searching

Scrutiny cast on internet service providers, lax enforcement and a disturbing culture compounded by poverty

NGO says the Philippines ranks second behind India for most cases of online material depicting child abuse

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Children inside an internet shop in Manila, the Philippines. Photo: Save the Children

Published: 5:00pm, 29 Apr 2024

An emotional call by the Philippines’ leader to crack down on child pornography has cast the spotlight on a complex issue faced by the country, which has become a hub for online material on the sexual exploitation of children.

Concern groups have rallied behind President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s April 25 order to government agencies to ramp up enforcement, with the leader condemning “in the strongest terms” the alarming cases nationwide.

Internet service providers, the authorities, family members and a wider problem of poverty are being blamed for the worrying trend.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has urged government agencies to crack down on child pornography. Photo; Bloomberg

Justice department spokesman and assistant secretary Mico Clavano last week said: “The president was visibly distressed, very bothered and clearly stressed with the information that was relayed to him, which is why he gave the directive.”

Clavano added that Marcos Jnr hoped to phase out such crimes by the end of his term.

Shay Cullen, founder and vice-president of People Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance (Preda), which protects abused children and human trafficking survivors, said the surge in cases in the Philippines was partly to be blamed on internet service providers (ISPs).

“They have no blocking software. They are not interested in searching online for live-streaming of sexual abuse of children. The ISPs are responsible, but they do nothing,” Cullen claimed.