EDITORIAL - The fight against sexual exploitation of children

There’s really an immediate need for authorities and communities to intensify the campaign against sexual exploitation of children amid the opening of many opportunities that perpetrators are taking advantage of.  

Despite several arrests and convictions, a local non-governmental organization that champions the protection of children has expressed alarm over the continued rise in cases of sexual abuses of children in Cebu, a major destination for foreign visitors. 

For Cebu Against Child Sex Tourism (CAST), many children across the province remain hapless victims of sexual abuse perpetrated either by members of their own family, online clients, tourists, or trafficking customers.

“Children are sexually abused not only because they are marginalized as to age, but also because the powerful man can make them as a tool for sex with society accepting this role,” CAST said in a statement.

It seems that even with the full implementation of the law perpetrators continue to outsmart authorities as they always find ways to sexually victimize children. Amid the rise of modern technology, they have also become sophisticated in pulling off their trade.

The heightened drive should include an education campaign on the need to protect children from sexual abuses, especially in far-flung of the province where the government’s information dissemination is limited.

Influential institutions such as the Church and the media also need to step up educating families about the issue. “Traditional Institutions like the family, the church and media, as well as governments and civil society organizations must begin educating towards change in culture that will stop seeing women as objects of sex,” CAST said.

Yes, there were arrests and convictions as we seek to up the ante against sexual exploitation of children. While we have been putting up a good fight, there is still a tough task of informing and educating everyone about the need to eliminate this evil.