By Charissa Luci-Atienza

A leader of the House of Representatives expressed on Sunday the Lower Chamber’s readiness to extend assistance to the law enforcement authorities’ campaign against the online sexual exploitation of Filipino children.

Tingog Sinirangan party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez said the House leadership was ready to aid law enforcement agencies in their fight against transnational child sexual exploitation.

“I trust that our law enforcement units will continue working with international agencies in a stepped-up campaign against sexual predators preying on our children. The House of Representatives is ready to extend its support to such endeavor in whatever way possible,” she said in a statement.

The House leader made the pledge after police authorities in Biliran province arrested five traffickers who were caught offering minor girls for sexual exploitation online in exchange for money from an online predator based in Australia.

“Our children deserve to live in peace at home, free from criminals lurking in their neighborhoods and online communities. We, the parents, have the obligation to keep our children secure at all times,” Romualdez said.

She took the opportunity to commend the members of the police’s Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Unit (WCPC-VFU), Philippine National Police (PNP) units in Biliran, and other international agencies for conducting operations that led to the rescue of five victims, whose ages range from 14 to 17 years old.

“I commend the vigilance of our law enforcers in protecting our children against criminals. Their diligence in surveillance led not only to the arrest of sexual predators, but also to the rescue of minors victimized by online exploitation,” Romualdez said.

“Let me also commend the foreign counterparts of our law enforcers. The success of their operation showed that only through international cooperation can we successfully combat transnational child sexual exploitation,” she added.

According to reports, it was WCPC-VFU, which conducted further investigation to identify and locate local traffickers linked to a perpetrator charged with child exploitation-related offenses in Australia after receiving a case referral from the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC).

The PICACC is a joint initiative between the National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP supported by the AFP, United Kingdom National Crime Agency and International Justice Mission (IJM), a non-government organization.(