The Jurisdiction Coordinating Council (JSCC) will launch a tri-city special jurisdiction in Eastern Visayas next month to intensify the government's response against online sexual exploitation and abuse of children (OSAEC) and the proliferation of child sexual exploitation or abuse materials (CSAEM), crimes that increasingly target minors in the region.
This initiative will cover the cities of Tacloban, Ormoc and Calbayog, which were identified as priority areas to improve interjurisdictional coordination in handling OSAEC cases. The JSCC said the project seeks to enhance inter-agency collaboration between local courts, prosecutors, law enforcement and social welfare offices to ensure a faster and more victim-centered approach to case management.
The formal launch is scheduled for November 5, with simultaneous events held at the Summit Hotel in Tacloban City, the Sabin Resort Hotel in Ormoc City, and the Calbayog City Sports Center in Calbayog City.
It will be the country's seventh special jurisdiction in 2024, after areas established in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Ozamiz.
Each region serves as a platform for local coordination within the jurisdiction to address specific challenges and streamline case processes.
The JSCC's Technical Working Group on Processes and Capacity Building said the three Eastern Visayas cities completed 40 inter-agency reforms needed in the justice process – from case initiation and prosecution to adjudication and post-judgment implementation. , Erica Mae P. Sinaking
