10/04/2026
PRESS RELEASE | DOJ ramps up anti-trafficking, child exploitation fight with legislative push
The Department of Justice (DOJ), led by Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida, made a bolder policy offensive against trafficking in persons and online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC) through a high-level meeting with Sen. Loren Legarda.
Discussions focused on strengthening Republic Act No. 9208, as amended, and Republic Act No. 11930 to combat technology-driven, cross-border, and increasingly sophisticated schemes.
The DOJ also pushed for the advancement of the Expanded Anti-OSAEC and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Bill, which is one of the administration’s priority bills.
To address enforcement gaps, the DOJ advanced proposals to strengthen border control and monitoring systems, including vessel registration, maritime surveillance, and tighter oversight of irregular migration corridors often exploited by traffickers.
For a whole-of-government response, the DOJ urged tighter coordination between the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the National Coordination Center Against OSAEC and CSAEM for swift, unified, victim-centered action.
“We’re pushing for adaptive laws to seal gaps in our criminal justice system, ensuring every victim, especially women and children, is protected by the rule of law,” Justice Secretary Vida emphasized.
Joining Secretary Vida in the meeting with Sen. Legarda were IACAT Undersecretary-in-Charge Nicholas Felix L. Ty, Assistant Secretary Michelle Anne S. Lapuz, IACAT Executive Director Hannah Lizette S. Manalili, and NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM OIC Executive Director Barbara Mae Pagdilao-Flores—signaling a united front for high-impact legislation.
