MORE REACH, MORE REPORTS: Iloilo City child-related cases surge; police cite more reporting

ILOILO CITY — The Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) recorded a significant increase in child-related cases from January to October, which it partly attributed to intensified advocacy campaigns encouraging victims and families to report incidents.

Ruth Laudato, WCPD officer-in-charge, said more children and families were coming forward as police expanded their information drives and community outreach activities.

“The more we reach out through advocacy, the more children and families come forward. The rise in cases is a warning, but it also shows that our advocacy is working,” she said on Monday, Nov. 9.

Children at risk up 160%

From January to October 2026, cases involving children at risk (CAR) posted the biggest increase, rising to 1,596 from 615 during the same period last year, or a 160% jump.

Laudato attributed the increase in recorded CAR cases partly to stronger community awareness through information drives, pulong-pulong (community meetings), and dialogues, which help residents identify children in vulnerable situations and refer them to authorities.

Cases involving children in conflict with the law (CICL) also increased by 150%, from 16 to 40.

Violence against children (VAC) cases more than doubled from eight to 17.

Cases under Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, also saw a slight increase from 93 to 96.

RA 7610 involves cases of maltreatment, child labor, child prostitution, and sexual abuse of minors.

Under RA 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a child at risk is one vulnerable to committing offenses because of personal, family, or social circumstances such as abuse, neglect, or being out of school.

The same law defines a child in conflict with the law as one alleged, accused, or adjudged to have committed an offense.

Laudato cautioned that the figures represented cases reported to the police and did not necessarily indicate an equivalent increase in the actual incidence of abuse, as stronger community awareness could lead to more children being identified and referred for assistance.

“A higher number does not automatically mean more abuse is happening. In large part, it means silence is being broken. When our advocacy reaches barangays, schools and families, people learn to recognize abuse and learn where to report,” she said.

“That leads to more children identified, more reports received, and more children brought to safety. We believe this is a major reason the numbers are rising, and we will keep validating it with data. A higher number today means more children protected instead of ignored,” Laudato added.

More cases filed

Laudato also said advocacy builds the courage of families and victims to file a case.

“A victim who attends an information drive, or hears a story in the media, learns she or he is not alone and that the police will act,” she said.

The WCPD reported a 64% increase in child-related cases filed, from 22 in January to October 2025 to 36 this year.

VAC cases filed more than tripled from five to 17, while CICL cases filed increased from four to seven.

RA 7610 cases filed slightly decreased from 13 to 12.

“We link the tripling of VAC cases filed, from 5 to 17, to stronger awareness, growing trust, and steady inter-agency coordination that carries a case from report to filing,” Laudato said.

“This tells us victims and families are coming forward, and that our investigators are building cases. Our message to every victim: report. We will help you,” Laudato said.

Fewer activities overall

The WCPD conducted 1,360 child protection advocacy and intervention activities from January to October, down by about 9% from 1,490 activities during the same period last year.

Community-level pulong-pulong nearly doubled, from 169 to 313, as police increased their engagement with barangays.

Information drives, dialogues, and the distribution of information and education materials declined, while inter-agency coordination remained at about 100 activities.

Laudato said the police would work to strengthen these activities, particularly community-level outreach, to encourage more residents to report cases and help identify children needing protection.

“When we go to the barangay, people talk. Awareness leads to reporting, and reporting leads to intervention and filing of cases. That is why the increase in cases is, in part, the result of advocacy working,” she said.

“It is also why we want to bring back dialogues and information drives: more outreach means more children found and helped,” Laudato added.