Fears for kids in Filipino drug crackdown

There are fears child victims of human trafficking could be caught up in an anti-drug crackdown and thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings by the Duterte regime in the Philippines.

Since late June police and vigilantes have killed an estimated 3000 people said to have been involved in the drug trade.

Child Rights Coalition Asia director Amihan Abueva laments that training Australian Federal Police undertook in the past with Filipino counterparts on evidence gathering for successful prosecutions is now being over-ridden by the new regime's focus on executions without trials.

She is especially concerned for child-trafficking victims who may have become addicts as a result of forced drug use for sexual exploitation or self medication.

"Sometimes they turn to drugs as a way to cope with what has happened to them," she told AAP.

"The lines are not clear in terms of looking at the drug user as a victim rather than as a perpetrator."

Ms Abueva is worried efforts to protect children could be undone by the disregard for proper criminal justice and law enforcement processes.

Ms Abueva is in Australia this week to address the Australian Council for International Development national conference in Melbourne and discuss her work on implementing a regional plan to reduce violence against children.