The Philippine National Police (PNP) is developing measures to establish a specialized hotline for individuals being blackmailed through sextortion.
PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said the initiative aims to offer a safe and confidential channel for victims to seek help, particularly those targeted via explicit videos and online threats.
“This sextortion modus is a sensitive and complex problem that we recognize because most of the victims would not seek help due to the kind of situation that they are in,” said Torre.
“So we are crafting measures to establish a helpline for the victims of blackmail, especially those using sex videos,” he added.
Torre said the helpline, which will be integrated into the national 911 system, aims at encouraging more victims to seek help, especially from the police, to ensure perpetrators are punished.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group earlier warned that suspects often continue to blackmail unless they are arrested and charged.
Torre said they are now finalizing the mechanisms of the helpline and that the project would be rolled out soon.
In addition to addressing sextortion, the PNP is also enhancing its mental health support services through the 911 platform.
Torre noted that callers can now press “4” to speak with counselors and volunteers trained to assist individuals experiencing depression or emotional distress.
This move comes in response to alarming data showing nearly 2,000 suicide cases in the first half of the year—an average of 10 to 11 lives lost daily.
“We are going to place a facility, a helpline through our 911 for all our kababayan who want someone to talk to, who need some people to share what they feel,” Torre said. (Aaron Recuenco)
