Cover-up Shame of Sex Crimes Against Children
The Universe
(May 23, 2004)
THERE are many problems facing the youth in the Philippines today.
At a time when almost two thirds of the Philippines population is under the age of 25, HIV-Aids is an ever-present threat. It has been contained by education but nevertheless it is moving into the population at an unknown rate. The well being of the youth of this country is endangered on a massive scale. Prevention is the most effective strategy to protect young.
Youth leadership development education is vital and it is important to continue what has been successfully achieved so far but much more remains to be done primarily because the growth of international sex tourism has increased in the Philippines - seemingly because government officials at the highest levels turn a blind eye.
In the past two years, the national government has played down the HIV-AIDS epidemic and there are almost no reliable or statistics, public education or warnings. Youth get no preventive education in school except what the NGOs provide. Likewise the new government has to change this policy of neglect.
Their attitude of see nothing-do-nothing is a death sentence for thousands. Policy until now has been to deny and cover up and discourage at all levels of government the reporting and prosecution of foreigners are caught sexually abusing our children. In fact the neighborhood officials and the police negotiate with the abuser and the family of the abused child. Money changes hands and everybody gets a pay off, except the child who is untreated, open to more abuse.
The increasing demand for sexual encounters with younger persons and children by high spending sex tourists stimulates the local pimps to recruit younger and youngest children to supply the Euros and dollar paying demand.
The cover up has reached criminal proportions on the island of Mindoro. 25 eight and nine-years-old were trafficked to the area and turned over to sex tourists on remote beaches. They were shown child pornography videos in the beach houses and trained to perform sexual acts on the tourists. Only one sex tourist, an American, is in jail awaiting trial.
The mayor, fearful his tourist town would be damaged if the story got out, begged government officials not to take the children off the island to get therapy and testify.
Leaving the children in that same situation has been officially declared in the best interests of the victims. Officials let it happen to promote tourism. This crime has to be exposed, confronted and stopped. Silence is the most insidious form of consent.
