EU-Philippines courtesy call deepens coordination to combat online sexual exploitation of children (OSAEC)　

May 27, 2025, Justice Hall Department of Justice — The European Union (EU) and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to addressing online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) through a high-level dialogue that brought together key stakeholders from both countries.

The meeting, co-hosted by the International Justice Mission (IJM) Philippines and the DOJ National Coordination Center Against OSAEC and CSAEM, was part of the EU delegation's official visit led by Emilio Puccio, Secretary General, European Parliament's Intergroup on Children's Rights, alongside Members of the European Parliament Hilde Vautmans, Evin Incir, and Caterina Chinnici.

The dialogue convened representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Coordinating Center for OSAEC (NCC-OSAEC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Council for the Welfare of Children, EU officials, and civil society leaders. The officials have tackled both the source-side and demand-side of OSAEC, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen international cooperation, survivor-centered policies, and legislative reform.

Participants recognized significant progress in the Philippines' efforts to combat OSAEC, including successful prosecutions, inter-agency coordination, and victim rescue and rehabilitation initiatives. The Philippine government agencies have shared effective intervention models that showcased the impact of coordinated national strategies and survivor-informed policies.

The EU delegation reiterated its support and explored avenues for increased collaboration–particularly in the areas of technical assistance and training for law enforcement and judiciary, legislative alignment, and cross-border intelligence sharing to address the transnational nature of the crime.

Persistent challenges were acknowledged including complexities in handling digital evidence, jurisdictional barriers, and resource constraints. Discussions also focused on innovative, sustainable solutions, including public-private partnerships and tech sector accountability. Survivor engagement emerged as a central theme with the Department of Social Welfare and Development highlighting trauma-informed, survivor-led approaches as key to effective and ethical interventions.

The meeting concluded with a joint press conference underscoring the unified commitment of both the EU and the Philippines to work hand-in-hand to eliminate the online sexual exploitation of children and deliver justice and protection to survivors.

"We have the same objective, we have the same goal—to protect children against child sexual abuse online and offline. This meeting is an important step towards stronger international cooperation to achieve that goal," said Caterina Chinnici, Member of the European Parliament.

Assistant Secretary Michelle Anne Lapuz of the Department of Justice also emphasized that in a study conducted by the International Justice Mission (IJM) in the year 2022, nearly half a million Filipino children were being exploited by foreign users of online sexual abuse materials.

"We are united in saying that, it is working, the cooperation is working, but we can do so much more," said Asec Lapuz. "As long as we have one case that is still happening in our country, we want to push for better cooperation, collaboration with our foreign counterparts," she added.

This high-level dialogue marked a critical step forward in aligning international strategies, reinforcing survivor-centered approaches, and advancing collective action against the transnational crime of online child sexual exploitation.