Karl Rössel, (Rheinisches JournalistInnenbüro)
His Excellency
Joseph Estrada
President of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
Manila
Philippines
Fax-Nr.: 0063 - 2 -832 3793
29. September 2000
Dear Mr. Estrada,
I was very disturbed to receive information from the Philippines about the absurd allegations which lead to a warrant of arrest against Father Shay Cullen.
Working as a journalist for the biggest radio outlets in
Germany (WDR, SWR, NDR, DLF) as well as print media I have been visiting the
Philippines frequently since the early eighties.
In 1987 I also visited Olongapo for the first time to do research on issues like
child abuse and prostitution. As early as 1987 I also got in contact with the
Preda Center and Shay Cullen and ever since I have closely followed their
activities.
Given the situation in Olongapo where I did many interviews with street
children, young girls forced to work in bars and brothels, bar owners, public
officials and politicians I was always very much impressed by the assistance
Preda as a center and Shay Cullen as a person gave to sexually abused children
of Olongapo. And nobody can deny that there were and still are many of these
poor children in this city.
My reports about Olongapo, on child prostitution and the work of Preda have been broadcasted by several radio stations and published in several news papers, news magazines and books in Germany.
In 1994/95 I was back in Olongapo to do some more research on
these issues. The situation of Olongapo had changed after the US bases were
closed down but there were still a lot - to many! - poor women and children who
were forced to prostitute themselves to make a living.
Even the newly created Subic Free Trade Zone which I visited as well did not
provide enough (paid) jobs for these poor people.
In 1994/95 I also went to visit Preda again and so could also
observe again how they work with children and women (who used to be former bar
girls). Based on these observations I wrote more radio features and newspaper
articles about Olongapo for German media and - in English - for Australians
national radio station ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
One of my radio features won the award for journalism of the German federal
ministry of cooperation.
From January to March 2000, I was back in the Philippines again for my work. Once again I did some research on issues like the situation of street children and sexually abused children. So I also got in contact with Preda again. Therefore I can claim to know about the work of Preda and Father Shay Cullen from 1987 to the present.
When I was in the Philippines at the beginning of this year I
already learnt about the absurd allegations of some (mainly foreign) pedophiles
against Shay Cullen. I read their letters to the editors in some of the news
papers in Manila and I also learnt about the way they are manipulating abused
children to give false evidence against people like Shay Cullen.
I thought, that everybody who is not paid by or at the mercy of the pedophile
mafia in Olongapo will immediately realize that all these allegations against
Father Shay Cullen and Preda are mere fabrications by those who try to cover up
their own criminal activities. So I could not imagine that the pedophile gangs
of Olongapo would ever succeed in bribing a public prosecutor to file a warrant
of arrest against Shay Cullen.
All in all I spent more than a year in the Philippines and I know that with enough money al lot seems to be possible in your country. Nevertheless I was shocked to learn, that the sex industry of Olongapo managed to successfully file false charges against Father Shay Cullen.
Therefore I urgently ask you to stop the obviously fabricated allegations and court cases against Father Shay Cullen. Otherwise not only the judicial system of the Philippines but also your whole government will loose its credibility .
I can assure you that the work of Shay Cullen and others in the Philippines who are courageous enough to stand up and speak out against well known pedophile gangs is very much appreciated internationally. Many people in many countries closely follow what is going to happen to Father Shay Cullen and Preda. Myself and others in the media in Germany will do whatever we can to inform the public about this scandal.
Through my own research in places like Olongapo for the last 13 years I know that the work of Shay Cullen and others like him has always been dangerous. I know about the death threads they get almost daily. I have recorded bar owners and others who are running the sex industry in Olongapo insulting Shay Cullen and Preda. But I would have never thought that the Philippine government would allow, that these criminals can get as far as forcing somebody like Father Shay Cullen to hide to avoid arrest.
I urgently ask you to stop all these absurdities and to
assure that Shay Cullen can continue his internationally acclaimed work for the
sake of the abused children of the Philippines.
I also kindly ask you to send me an explanation how it was possible that a
warrant of arrest was issued against Father Shay Cullen who is selected to
receive a human right award in Germany later this year.
I also seriously ask you to let me know whether (and when) you as the President of the Philippines will start an inquiry against those responsible in your administration for this warrant of arrest against Shay Cullen. I ask you to send me your answers as soon as possible because I will try by all means to inform the German public about the scandalous treatment Father Shay Cullen gets in your country.
You can send me your answer by fax letter or email
(rjb-koeln@t-online.de).
I would really appreciate it to get your answer so I can inform the German
public what the Philippine government is doing to stop this scandal.
I will send this letter to media outlets in Germany and in the Philippines.
And I can assure you that I will publish your answer as well.
Yours respectfully
Karl Rössel
Rheinisches JournalistInnenbüro
via e-mail, dated
September 29, 2000
