CYBER SAFETY. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) urges the public to use the Department of Education cyber safety modules that teach students how to stay safe online. CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia, in a statement on Sunday (July 24, 2022), says the commission sees the need for greater action to protect children against online abuse amid rise in cyber sexual exploitation cases. (PNA file photo) MANILA - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sunday urged the public to take advantage of the Department of Education (DepEd)'s cyber safety modules which has three courses teaching students how to stay safe online. The human rights body stressed the need to warn the public against the use of virtual platforms as exploitation venues for children and women. CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia, in a statement, said the Commission has noted an increasing number of "online sexual exploitation and abuse of children" (OSAEC), which has consistently called for greater government action for the protection of children against online abuse. "Protection of the young from all forms of abuse and exploitation remains to be one of the most important duties of the State," she said. The CHR said the shift to digital and online learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic has brought more children to virtual platforms, increasing their vulnerabilities to "online exploitation and cyberbullying." Because of this, the DepEd created cyber safety modules to help children learn the basics of internet safety, De Guia said, adding this "is a long overdue but laudable initiative". The courses on cyber safety can be found under the "Spotlight" tab of DepEd Commons, the department's e-learning platform. De Guia said enhancing educational safety nets for children against the dangers of improper internet usage, bullying, and malicious online content sharing is crucial to protecting the right to life. "We are hopeful that knowledge learned from these modules would translate to more children avoiding harmful internet interactions and a decrease in OSAEC cases," she said. The CHR also renewed its call for greater legislative action against OSAEC. "CHR yet again reiterates our call for the passage of House Bill (HB) No. 10703 or the Anti-Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children," de Guia said. The measure seeks to strengthen the protection of children against OSAEC-related crimes -- by requiring internet intermediaries and other internet or payment service providers to take down or remove websites that stream illegal content of abuse of minors. De Guia also said by increasing penalties for those found guilty, the legislative measure could deter individuals from committing cyber crimes. She said passage of the proposed bill "shall demonstrate" the commitment of the current administration "to stamp out child abuse and make the online network a safe space" for children. "As the country's Gender and Children's Ombud charged to monitor government actions upholding gender and children's rights, the Commission calls for urgent executive action for the passage of this bill into law as the plight of children in our country deserves more attention for the protection of the young against abuse," she added. (PNA) }