“Yung suspect natin is 60 years old”: Children without parental care vulnerable to exploitation, Kalinga police officer warns

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Children, particularly those without parental care and supervision, are among the vulnerable victims allegedly enticed with money and exploited in reported Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases in Kalinga, raising concern among members of the provincial anti-violence committee.

PCPT Ginabel Dao-inon of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) raised the concern during the Provincial Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children (PCAT-VAWC) special meeting on November 4, 2026, at the OPSWDO Conference Hall in Bulanao, Tabuk City.

Dao-inon cited incidents in which children were allegedly lured into exploitation through money, including a reported case involving a five- or six-year-old child and a 60-year-old suspect.

“Yung ibang instances, naloloko yung mga victims in exchange for money, lalo na yung mga bata. Yung bata walang parents, parang sinamantala and dahil 5 or 6 years, nahikayat. Yung suspect natin is 60 years old,” she explained.

She also expressed concern over the involvement of relatives and family members in reported GBV cases, pointing out that those expected to protect children and other vulnerable family members were sometimes implicated in the abuse.

“Yung violence is mostly committed by relatives or family na sana sila yung nagpo-protekta sa kanilang mga kapamilya,” she said.

Based on comparative data covering July 1 to October 31, 2026, five of the 16 reported GBV victims, or 31.25 percent, were minors, all of whom were students.

The victims ranged from five to 53 years old, while identified suspects were between 19 and 60 years old. All suspects were adults.

Reported relationships between victims and suspects included relatives, brothers-in-law, cousins, husbands, acquaintances, and live-in partners.

During the discussion, Kalinga State University representative Rhonda Vail Leyaley pointed to financial vulnerability as a possible factor that makes children susceptible to exploitation.

“It might be that the suspects enticed the victims with money, lalo na kung mga bata,” she said.

Leyaley also cautioned against considering the decline in reported cases sufficient progress, emphasizing that the ultimate goal should be the complete eradication of violence.

“The decrease is not even significant because there are still cases and our goal is to remove the cases – to eradicate the cases,” she added.

Kalinga recorded 16 GBV cases from July 1 to October 31, 2026, compared with 18 during the same period in 2025, representing a decrease of two cases or 11.11 percent.

The figures were presented during the special meeting spearheaded by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), which also discussed reports from the PNP-WCPD, the Women and Children Protection Unit of the Provincial Hospital, and the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.

The meeting highlighted the need to strengthen child protection mechanisms, improve family and community awareness, and enhance coordination among agencies to prevent exploitation and ensure that vulnerable children receive appropriate assistance and protection.