Baguio strengthens frontline response to online child sexual exploitation

The Baguio City Council is strengthening the city’s frontline response to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) by orienting barangay representatives and concerned agencies on their respective roles in receiving, investigating, referring, and managing cases.
The orientation and public consultation on September 18, 2026 at the YMCA Auditorium focused on Ordinance 07-2026, or the Anti-OSAEC Ordinance of Baguio City, and the Baguio City Response Manual for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and OSAEC.
Conducted through the Office of Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda,, chairperson of the Committee on Social Services, Women and Urban Poor, the activity brought together representatives from barangays, the 911 emergency response system, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU), City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Prosecutor’s Office, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center-Women and Children Protection Unit (BGHMC-WCPU), and government and non-government shelters.
Tabanda called on barangays to implement the ordinance in their respective jurisdictions and emphasized their role in supporting the local response to cases involving children.
Under Ordinance 07-2026, barangays and other community-based bodies are part of the city’s system for preventing and responding to OSAEC and related trafficking cases.
The ordinance allows suspected cases to be reported to several entry points, including the CSWDO, BCPO, barangay VAW Desk officers, Local Council for the Protection of Children, Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children, other law enforcement agencies, civil society and non-government organizations, faith-based organizations, and the BGHMC-WCPU.
During the consultation, barangay representatives were walked through the process of receiving, documenting, and referring cases from the initial disclosure or report to the appropriate agencies.
Punong Barangay Ariel Del Monte of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) discussed the barangay-level process and emphasized the need for proper intake and referral procedures to prevent cases from being mishandled or delayed at the earliest stage.
The 911 system also explained its process flow and role in crime response, documentation, and action.
For police response, PCMS Andrea Abion and PMSG Emilia Batnag of the BCPO discussed the steps in reporting and investigating TIP, OSAEC, and child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM) cases including documentation, evidence gathering, and case build-up.
PSMS Rhea Kiniway of the RACU discussed the technical assistance flow for OSAEC, CSAEM, and TIP cases including cyber warrants, handling cyber-related complaints, and protocols for items that may be connected to cybercrime.
These measures are particularly relevant to Ordinance 07-2026 which prohibits acts including accessing, possessing, profiling, producing, or distributing child sexual abuse or exploitation materials, grooming children for sexual purposes, livestreaming sexual abuse, and sextortion.
The ordinance also directs the city to strengthen the capacity of government personnel and other institutions to respond to technology-based trafficking and OSAEC according to their respective mandates.
The City Prosecutor’s Office, through Prosecutor Ruth Bernabe, explained the Baguio City Response Manual which provides guidance to service providers on the proper handling and referral of TIP and OSAEC cases.
Bernabe also presented the city’s referral system and emphasized that addressing these cases requires coordinated action among agencies rather than the work of a single office.
At the medical level, Dr. Elizabeth Batino of the BGHMC-WCPU discussed the TIP-OSAEC-CSAEM case management flow including where victims may be referred for medical examination, treatment, and other assistance.
She also explained consent and guardian requirements in case handling including situations where a guardian is unavailable, uncooperative, or may be implicated in the case.
The CSWDO, through Brix Brian Rillorta, presented its shelter and case management process for TIP and OSAEC cases covering case assignment, monitoring, and eventual case closure.
The office also explained its role in coordinating psychosocial support and rehabilitation services and ensuring continuity of care for victims and their families.
Ordinance 07-2026 provides for a broader range of services for child victims including emergency or temporary shelter, alternative family-based care, counseling, free legal services, medical and psychological services, livelihood and skills training referrals, educational assistance, and survivor empowerment and participation.
It also requires sustained supervision and follow-through to monitor the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration of child victims.
The ordinance establishes a Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children, with representatives from the city government, law enforcement, health, social welfare, education, prosecution, licensing, civil society, the hospitality sector, and other stakeholders.
Among its functions are to monitor and document OSAEC cases, coordinate local and non-government agencies, develop mechanisms for a timely and effective response, strengthen barangay-level mechanisms, and conduct information campaigns and capacity-building activities.
It likewise calls for multi-disciplinary case management, regular training for law enforcement personnel, social workers, teachers, parents, barangay volunteers, school child protection groups, hotels, and other stakeholders.
The ordinance further provides for child-friendly spaces and specialized facilities for assessment and interviews including Video In-Depth Interviews conducted by a trained multi-disciplinary team.
For establishments, the ordinance places specific responsibilities on mall and hotel operators and other business establishments to report suspected child sexual abuse or exploitation occurring in their premises to the BCPO or National Bureau of Investigation within 48 hours of obtaining relevant facts and circumstances.
Internet cafés and kiosks, as well as money remittance centers, are also required to undergo OSAEC orientation as a requirement for business permit issuance or renewal, subject to the provisions of the ordinance.
In her closing remarks, Tabanda reiterated the need for barangays to put the ordinance into practice, with the consultation serving as an opportunity for frontline personnel and service providers to understand their roles in the city’s coordinated response. **Jordan G. Habbiling