Sex Tourism is Destroying Morals of Filipinos
The Universe
(February 08, 2004)
Thousands of women and children are trafficked every year into the slavery of prostitution, forced labour, imprisoned as domestic servants and abused.
The Philippines has a sad story of this trade of innocents. trafficking in human is an international multi-nationial business earning billions of dollars for the masterminds who organize sex tours that prey on hungry children and young women
The Philippines has its own set of problems. Sexual slavery is growing to meet the demand of local and foreign sex tourists alike. It is a huge business and the victims are so young. Last 14 January in Puerto Galore, a popular tourist town on the remote fringe of the island of Mindoro, a Paedophile ring of foreign sex tourists was uncovered. 13 children had been let loose on the beaches to sell trinkets but were in fact being prostituted by their own mothers and relatives, according to investigating social workers.
Police entered the house and the paedophiles were caught in the act watching pornographic videos with more children. Some men were allowed to walk free only two were arrested a German and American.
This terrible scourge of sex tourism is destroying the culture and morals of the Filipino people. ‘If the big white foreigners can do it, then it must be OK’ is the lesson that comes across, and more want to get their children earning big dollars. Even the government is turning away from the reality and pretend it's not there.
Nothing substantial is being done to curb sex tourism and it has grown in a culture of impunity for the sex tourist. "Never prosecute a foreigner - it kills business" seems to be the government slogan.
Finally after many years of lobbying, the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act has been signed into law and none too soon at that. Sex tourists beware, this is a tough law. Anyone who is convicted of acts that lead to the sexual exploitation of persons will get 20 years in prison and US$20,000 fine. Likewise arranging marriages of Filipinos to foreigners for money or organizing sex tours will get the same. Even those who rent houses that are used in any act of trafficking will suffer stringent penalties. If the trafficked person is a child then the penalty is life imprisonment and US$40,000 fine.
What is significant is that the sex tourist who uses trafficked women or children as prostitutes are also subject to six months community service and a US$1,000 fine for the first offense and double that for the second. Much too light in my opinion.
