Human trafficking and COVID-19

The impact of COVID-19 is not confined to sickness and death.

The shutdown of major economic sectors and the prohibition of social activities leaves the vast majority of Filipinos without a source of income and very limited means to socialize. According to We Are Social’s Global Digital Report 2019 , 71 percent of the Philippine population spend an average of four hours a day on social media. The percentage and the hours could be much higher in these times of quarantine. The lack of income and being locked into social media can lead to dangerous situations.
One of the growing concerns in the country is the increase of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) cases. According to the “Child Trafficking Situationer” of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), 65 percent of persons trafficked were women and 21 percent were children. More alarmingly, the Philippines is considered as a top global source of child pornography, with around 80 percent of Filipino kids at risk of online sexual abuse or bullying (UNICEF report, 2017).
A recent article by the Thomson Reuters Foundation entitled “Coronavirus fuels cybersex trafficking fears for children in Southeast Asia” points out that the ongoing pandemic and the consequent lockdowns are expected to cause an increase in the number of cybersex trafficking cases in Southeast Asia. UNICEF warns that an increase in online exposure for 1.5 million children is expected with the closing of schools in at least 165 countries. This puts children at a high risk of being victimized by sexual predators.

In an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, advisor for UNICEF Rachel Harvey said that “Spending more time online may heighten the risk of grooming, predators trying to meet children and an increase of self-generated images, as well as cyberbullying.”

With the lockdowns, lack of income and the Philippines being considered as “the epicenter of the live-stream sex abuse trade”, it has become very tempting to resort to the crimes of OSEC and cybersex trafficking just to earn a few hundred pesos.

The phenomenon was explained by Catherine Z. Worsnop of the University of Maryland. Her 2019 study of disease outbreaks all over the world (e.g., Ebola) in the last two decades “provides evidence that countries that have recently experienced a disease outbreak are more likely to have trafficking outflows. The findings point to the importance of integrating trafficking prevention into outbreak response.”

This and other studies serve as both a warning and a call to heighten efforts to raise awareness, track down and prosecute traffickers, and prevent further victimization in these times of COVID-19. Social media platforms have now become the main channels of human trafficking. And it is harder for authorities to track, identify, and prosecute traffickers hiding behind false identities in such media. Ordinary citizens need to get involved by reporting suspicious accounts and sending evidence to authorities.

For reports on accounts selling, promoting, and enabling OSEC and other forms of human trafficking, contact the 1343 hotline, or send reports to the website https://www.1343actionline.ph/report/view/form of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

(Marielle DSJ Chico is a BS Development Communication graduate of the University of the Philippines Los Banos. She currently works as a Project Officer in the Strength CTIP Project of the Partnership for Development Assistance in the Philippines (PDAP).