Panawagan ng CHR…Proteksiyon sa mga mag-aaral vs pang-aabuso

MANILA – Kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng International Day of Education, nanawagan ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR)  para sa mas mataas na proteksyon sa mga mag-aaral laban sa sekswal na pagsasamantala at iba pang uri ng pang-aabuso sa mga bata.

“Protection of young people from all forms of abuse is among the obligations of the state. A holistic approach in ensuring the protection of children from all forms of abuse also includes ensuring that they are well-informed of their rights and that they receive proper psychosocial support from their teachers and parents,” ayon kay CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia sa isang pahayag.

Base sa datos na nakalap mula sa Department of Justice (DOJ) na umakyat sa 260 percent ang online sexual exploition sa mga kabataan nang ipatupad ang lockdown dahil sa pandemya.

Dagdag pa ni de Guia, lumalabas sa finding ng Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) na dumoble ang rate ng kahina-hinalang transaksyon na may kinalaman sa child pornography mula P65.8 milyon noong 2019 na naging P113.1 milyon sa first half noong 2020.

“Even more concerning are the alleged reports of a ‘Christmas sale’ of sensual photos and videos sold by students on social media sites for as little as PHP150 to help raise funds for distance learning-related expenses,” aniya.

Dahil dito, nanawagan ang CHR sa Department of Education (DepEd) at iba pang paaralan na ipagpatuloy ang pagsisikap para mapangalagaan ang mga bata laban sa mga kaso ng pang-aabuso at pagsasamantala.

Sambit pa niya na dapat manatiling mapagmatyag ang National Telecommunications Commission upang matiyak na maiba-block ng internet service providers (ISPs) ang access sa lahat ng website na may kargang  child pornography materials.

“Failure of ISPs or reluctance to comply to measures that combat online sexual exploitation of children must be sanctioned,”  dagdag niya.

Samantala, sinabi rin ni de Guia na dapat magbigay ng suporta ang mga guro gayung ang bansa ay lumipat sa blended learning ngayong may pandemya.

“As teaching shifts heavily to online means, the government must ensure that communication allowances to teachers are provided or reimbursed in a timely manner,” aniya.

“For those pursuing learning offline due to limits in internet connectivity, the delivery of modules should be done more efficiently without compromising teachers’ safety towards guaranteeing that every child with no access to the internet is not deprived of education,” dagdag niya.

Nabanggit din ni De Guia na dapat bigyan ng psychosocial support at training ng DepEd ang mga magulang, guro, at pamunuan ng paaralan sa gitna ng nagaganap na krisis sa kalusugan.

“The filling of Senate Bill 735 or the Human Trafficking Preventive Education Program Act by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, which aims to orient Filipino children on their rights and vital protection measures against OSEC, is a welcome move towards this endeavor,” wika ni de Guia.