EDITORIAL – Exploiters of children

With politics preoccupying everyone, scourges that have long plagued the nation go unchecked. A report over the weekend said the developing countries of Southeast Asia including the Philippines continue to serve as playgrounds for foreign pedophiles. The report said corruption, limited resources and, in some countries, cultures that tolerate the sexual exploitation of children have made the problem fester.

The problem is aggravated by the fact that parents themselves are often the ones who sell their children for sex. In the Philippines, police and local governments, with assistance from Church groups and non-government organizations, discourage child prostitution by keeping children off the streets. In the city of Manila, police presence and even strong street lighting have driven away child sex workers and prospective clients from parks that were once their favorite haunts. Laws provide stiff penalties even for acts of lasciviousness perpetrated on children.

Child sex trafficking, however, continues to flourish. With the Internet, children and prospective clients no longer need to meet up in parks and streets. Pedophiles know poverty guarantees them a steady supply of children to exploit. And human trafficking syndicates know where to set up shop. The best areas of operation are those where there is weak law enforcement. Most of the developing countries of Southeast Asia do not have the resources for law enforcers to protect impoverished children from sexual exploitation. Most developing countries lack trained personnel to police cyberspace.

The public can make up for the lack by exercising vigilance especially in areas frequented by foreigners. Any foreigner accompanied by a Filipino child who is obviously not a relative of the adult must raise alarm bells. You see many of them in popular tourist destinations. No matter how pleased the child might look while being treated to a good meal or shopping with the foreigner, people must alert authorities about a possible case of child abuse. Concerned groups can also help law enforcement agencies police cyberspace for human trafficking including child prostitution. Once caught, pedophiles must face the full force of the law. There are many factors working in favor of abusers of children, but they can be caught and made to pay for their crime.