THE government seems powerless to stop the explosion of child sexual abuse in the Philippines on the internet. Because of that, the nation is now considered the center of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children worldwide. In its Oct. 9, 2024 survey report, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) revealed that one girl in every eight worldwide experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18.

An earlier Unicef survey found that in the Philippines, 7 million children are reportedly sexually and physically abused every year. This abuse is committed within families and the community. Thousands of children fall victim to human trafficking. Local governments are complicit in this by giving operating permits to sex bars, clubs and hotels where trafficked minors are brought to and sold for sex to customers, many of whom are foreigners. This is considered legal by government officials because the children have IDs saying they are over 18. The IDs are fake, but this is ignored.