The online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) in Bacolod City is “very alarming” and a manhunt for a person tagged to be behind it is ongoing, Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga, head of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), said on Thursday, July 30.
A study by the International Justice Mission, a global human rights organization dedicated to protecting people in poverty from violence, slavery, and exploitation, revealed that Bacolod City is a hotspot for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, she said.
The Bacolod DSSD and police have rescued 10 minors aged 12 to 17 from various barangays in Bacolod City from June to July, Verdeprado-Mangga said.
Nine of them were female and one was male, she said.
Verdeprado-Mangga said the minors pointed to one person, now the subject of a manhunt, who made them perform sexual acts that were recorded with the use of cellular phones for sale to buyers in other countries.
The DSSD is also searching for more than 10 other OSAEC victims described by those who were rescued, Verdeprado-Mangga said.
Meanwhile, authorities are also investigating the parents of some of the children who may have been involved in the activity.
Some of the houses raided by the authorities were rented. This activity is often conducted in inner-city areas.
To facilitate their healing and recovery, the Bacolod City DSSD has taken the victim-survivors into protective custody to provide post-rescue care, including residential housing, medical screenings, psychological counseling, educational modules, family interventions, and legal assistance, Mayor Greg Gasataya said.
The city government is in close coordination with the Bacolod police as the investigation continues to ensure the perpetrators face prosecution.
The city government strongly condemns these acts of exploitation and stands firm in its mandate to protect the vulnerable, he said.
“This commitment to the welfare of our youth was institutionalized in September 2025 through our issuance of Executive Order No. 44, Series of 2025, which established the 24/7 SAFE Hotline to combat child abuse and gender-based violence,” the mayor said.
“We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected abuse to our hotlines at 0909-640-7382 (TNT) or 0926-751-4615 (Globe),” he said.
“To those who endanger our children, we will hunt you down, and we will make sure that justice finds its way to you,” Gasataya said.*
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