Cebu City cracks down on child exploitation, trafficking
Mayor Garcia forms task force amid OSAEC cases
file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City is intensifying its fight against online sexual exploitation and human trafficking as Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia signed an executive order forming an inter-agency task force to combat these crimes.
This comes amid revelations that the Philippines remains a global hotspot for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), with Cebu City ranking among the worst-hit areas.
Garcia said Cebu City could not afford to be complacent in the face of rising cases of child exploitation.
“Importante kaayo ni kay we already know the several issues regarding sexual abuse and most especially the exploitation of children. It’s not only happening in Cebu City but also big cities. That’s why kinahanglan gyud nato ni ma-form ni nga task force so that they could give inputs on how to combat and address these concerns,” Garcia said in a press conference on March 17.
(This is important because we already know the several issues regarding sexual abuse and most especially the exploitation of children. It’s not only happening in Cebu City, but also to big cities. That’s why we really need to form a task force so tht they could give inputs on how to combat and address these concerns.)
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Although Cebu City has yet to record extreme cases of OSAEC, Garcia assured the public that the local government was taking aggressive steps to prevent these crimes before they would spiral out of control.“The government has stepped up its efforts here in Cebu City. Although walay ingana ka grabe nga cases, kini siya pangandam ni so that we can combat this particular problem,” he added.
(The government has stepped up its efforts here in Cebu City. Although, there is not like those worse cases here, this is just preparation so that we can combat this particular problem.)
‘Babies-for-Sale’ under investigation
In addition to tackling OSAEC, the mayor also confirmed that his office was looking into disturbing reports of alleged “babies-for-sale” transactions occurring in the city.
“On babies for sale, dili unta ko mutubag ana because that already reached my office, but we are now conducting an investigation. My take is that it should not be happening in Cebu City. We will do everything we can, and if it is found that there are individuals involved, we will prosecute them in the proper forum,” Garcia said.
(On babies for sale, I was supposed not to answer that because that already reached my office, but we are now conducting an investigation. My take is that it should not be happening in Cebu City. We will do everything we can, and if it is found that there are individuals involved, we will prosecute them in the proper forum.)
Mandatory compliance for business owners
The executive order aligns with Republic Act No. 11930, the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act, which mandates local governments to establish protective mechanisms.
Under the order, the newly formed Cebu City Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and OSAEC (CCIACT-OSAEC) will coordinate with law enforcement, non-government organizations, and other agencies to bolster prevention, investigation, and rehabilitation efforts.
One of its immediate mandates is requiring all Cebu City business owners to undergo mandatory seminars on OSAEC-CSAEM before securing or renewing business permits.
READ: DSWS backs Cebu City ordinance vs online sexual exploitation of children
Establishments failing to comply will only receive a provisional license valid for three months, pending seminar completion.
In a bid to curb access to exploitation materials, the city government is also implementing a total ban on pornographic and violent content on public Wi-Fi networks across Cebu City.
Cebu City among top hotspots for OSAEC
During a public hearing on a proposed city ordinance reinforcing anti-OSAEC measures, Lucille Dejito, director of the International Justice Mission Cebu Program Office, presented alarming data from a 2023 study revealing that nearly half a million Filipino children have been trafficked to produce child exploitation materials.
She noted that Cebu City ranked fourth among Philippine cities with the highest number of OSAEC cases and was flagged in the 2024 Anti-Money Laundering Council’s report for suspicious financial transactions linked to child exploitation.
“The study also shows that there is massive underreporting of these types of cases. Most of these come from foreign law enforcement referrals,” Dejito said.
She emphasized the urgent need for stronger community-level awareness campaigns and enhanced law enforcement training to bridge the gap between estimated victims and actual rescue operations, which only number around 1,400 nationwide.
Legal experts demand stronger local laws
Lawyer Marygrace Casano, executive director of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter and president of the Cebu City Lady Lawyers, stressed that national laws alone were not enough.
“We cannot dismiss the need for a city ordinance on OSAEC because by ignoring it, we ignore the fact that enforcement, victim support, and community prevention should not only be at the national level but at the local level,” Casano said.
She described local policies as the “walls of protection” for vulnerable children.
Meanwhile, Councilor James Anthony Cuenco authored a proposed ordinance institutionalizing programs against OSAEC, imposing penalties, and allocating funds for survivor support and law enforcement training.
This initiative follows a directive from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) requiring local government units to integrate the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022 into their local laws.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera reminded the council that Cebu City had already established a special body to oversee OSAEC programs in 2022. However, Councilor Joel Garganera pointed out that despite existing laws and initiatives, underreporting remains rampant, and enforcement needs to be strengthened.
Stepping up protection for Cebu’s children
As Cebu City moves forward with stricter policies and enforcement mechanisms, officials are calling on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases of child exploitation.
Mayor Garcia assured Cebuanos that his administration was determined to stamp out human trafficking and OSAEC.
“We are very serious and nagpakabana ta sa kining problema sa syudad sa Sugbo,” he said.
(We are very serious and we are just taking care of the problem of the city of Cebu.)
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