EDITORIAL - Giving false hope is a cruel thing

A group that supports victims of child abuse and harassment claims the hotline set up by the Department of Education (DepEd) for survivors of harassment is a sham.

The group Enough is Enough said they tried to contact the landline and mobile numbers provided by DepEd as a helpline for children struggling with harassment and abuse. According to a report in Philstar.com, the group tried several times on three different occasions to call the numbers but were unable to reach any child protection specialists because no one would pick up the phone.

“We are extremely disappointed and troubled after being led to believe that Vice President and concurrent DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte was on top of the problem but is clearly more focused on painting a rosy picture of what is clearly a deceitful and ineffective leadership to combat sexual abuse,” Enough is Enough convenor Sophia Beatriz Reyes was quoted as saying in the same report.

To be fair to DepEd, this newspaper has not tried calling the hotline itself. DepEd has also not aired its side on the matter.

But if we are to go mainly on what the group has claimed, this is not only a travesty; it reeks of cruelty.

To give hope is one of the best things one can do for others, but to provide false hope is also one of the cruelest things one can do to others.

If indeed DepEd provided the numbers for the hotline along with the message that it can help children who are suffering from harassment and abuse, but then no one picks up the phone when the calls come, then that is practically laughing in the face of their predicament.

It tells them they are not important enough, and that their issues do not matter after all.

Because DepEd has not been reached for the matter we are not sure if the hotline is indeed a sham, is just encountering glitches, or is experiencing staffing issues, among other problems.

Either way, we do hope this will be fixed soon, or that there will be a real hotline established for harassed and abused children who have nowhere to turn to.

The Philippines is already “leading” when it comes to sexual exploitation of children, according to the United Nations. We don’t want more unfortunate children suffering at the hands of predators.