By Erma Edera

The United States Embassy in the Philippines, together with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the International Justice Mission (IJM), have concluded a three-day training for prosecutors and investigators in battling online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) held in Clark, Angeles City on November 21.

About 72 prosecutors and investigators from the different parts of the country participated in the program, which is part of an on-going series to provide participants practical skills to effectively combat OSEC crimes.

The training was implemented through the US Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT).

OPDAT Resident Legal Advisor Don Calvert, in his keynote address, urged the participants to be vigilant especially in investigating online sexual exploitation as a crime without borders affecting children around the world.

The training culminated with mock trials where prosecutors, alongside investigators, built their cases against fictional perpetrators.

Actual Metro Manila-based Cyber Court judges, including Judge Romeo Tagra of Marikina City led the mock trials for each prosecutor-investigator team.

“The participation of cybercrime court judges in the training is significant. It gave law enforcement officers and prosecutors direct and hands-on tips about what to look for to obtain a favorable ruling,” Tagra said.

“The training is an avenue for everyone to learn and enhance their respective skills,” Tagra added.

Aside from the mock trial, OSEC prosecutors discussed the fundamentals in collecting, preserving, and using, obtaining of digital evidence from other countries, plea bargaining, and the special handling of child victims.

OPDAT said they would continue to work with Philippine partners to enhance justice sector capabilities with training for judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and other government agencies on combating various transnational crimes.