ECPAT Philippines aims to build a vibrant web of structures and mechanisms for enhancing programmes and services for the promotion, protection and fulfillment of children’s rights. One of its main objectives is to generate public awareness on CSEC and encourage local citizens to become responsive and proactive participants in its prevention and elimination. With its child-oriented advocacy, ECPAT Philippines actively supports the involvement of young people in seeking solutions to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Contact: Ms. Ana Maria Dionela
Phone: +63 2 9208151
Address: 143 Anonas Extension Sikatuna Village, Diliman, Quezon City 1101
Email: info@ecpat.org.ph
Website: https://ecpat.org.ph/
Children are commonly trafficked for exploitation in the sex trade . An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children in the Philippines are reportedly involved in prostitution rings.
The Philippines has recently been described as “the global epicentre of the live-stream sexual abuse trade”.
Year: 2023
Year: 2022
Year: 2021
Year: 2019
No
The age of sexual consent is 12 years. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption.
DH Legal Analysis Philippines, 2020
Partial
Active extraterritoriality is provided for OCSEA offences and there is NO double criminality requirement. No information is provided on extraterritoriality for other SEC crimes. Passive extraterritoriality is not provided.
Extradition may be granted only pursuant to a treaty, requires a minimum gravity of on year of imprisonment as well as double criminality
DH Legal Analysis Philippines, 2020
No
The national legislation does not provide a definition of CSAM which is in line with international standards. The definition provided does not include depictions of the sexual parts of a child’s body for primarily sexual purposes. Positively, the definition includes material depicting a person appearing to be a child as well as computer/digitally generated CSAM.
DH Legal Analysis Philippines, 2020
Not Yet Assessed
Partial
Philippines has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No. 182.
Philippines has also ratified the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention.
Philippines has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention.
DH Legal Analysis Philippines, 2020
Not Yet Assessed
Partial
There are several police units including SEC in their mandate, mainly the Philippine National Police Women’s and Children’s Protection Centre (PNP WCPC) which deals with cases of violence against women and children including SEC and includes the Internet Crimes against Children Office which deals with cases of online child sexuale xploitation. Additionally the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD) deals with cases of human trafficking. Since 2019 there is also a Internet Crimes Against Children Centre that enhances collaborative efforts by different law enforcement units in Philippines, UK and Australia to combat online child sexual exploitation. Although these offices are effectively functioning a lack of funds, human resources, skills and training and sufficient equipment has been reported among other challenges. It is unclear whether both offences under national and extra-territorial jurisdiction are able to be addressed by these units.
DH Desk-based research Philippines, Jul-05
Partial
Philippines has partially established obligatory child protection standards for the tourism industry
SECTT Legal Checklist ASEAN, 2020
Partial
The Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre reports case data on online child sexual exploitation and abuse since its creation in 2019. No information has been found on public case data for other manifestations.
DH Desk-based research Philippines, 2020
