MANILA - The Philippines needs a "war on pedophiles," Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Monday.

Locsin, in a tweet, said he would raise the "rampant" pedophile trade in the country before the United Nations.

"But all over the country, as I will report to the UN, pedophile trade is rampant, worse than the drug trade because sicker," he said.

"We need a war on pedophiles and in general men who like young women and little boys," he added.

But all over the country, as I will report to the UN, pedophile trade is rampant, worse than the drug trade because sicker. We need a war on pedophiles and in general men who like young women and little boys. https://t.co/ljvd3mC8yy — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 15, 2019

Locsin's remarks were in response to a netizen's query on human traffickers who victimize Filipino women.

"Hindi po ba mahuli huli 'yang mga human traffickers na 'yan? Ilang Filipina pa po ba ang mabibiktima bago mawala 'yang mga 'yan sa labas ng selda?" the netizen asked.

(Won't human traffickers be arrested yet? How many more Filipino women should get victimized before they are put in jail?)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has listed Southeast Asia as one of the "hotspots" of child sex tourism, based on data from 2014 to 2016.