Tsunami will bring fresh wave of sex tourists to Philippines
The Universe
(January 23, 2005)
Convicted child rapist and former member of the Philippine congress Romeo Jalosjos is pulling every diplomatic string he can to win a pardon from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Using his contacts and vast financial resources, his supporters in congress are threatening to block the passage of urgent bills unless the pardon is granted. The president is considering granting the request for political reasons.
Jalosjos was convicted of raping an 11-year-old girl in 1997. The child was brought to him by a pimp in his luxury apartment in Manila where he sexual abused her. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Not that he is suffering much other than heart disease brought on by a lazy life style and over eating. Allegedly he has an air conditioned cell equipped with a double bed, fridge, TV and shower room.
This well illustrates the inequality and special treatment that the privileged elite have in this country of 85 million people, the majority of them poor. The privileges follow them to their cells.
It was an extraordinary event when he was convicted. It was the public outcry that brought him to trial in the first place and the common practice of making a pay off to the parents of the victim, the police and prosecutor didn't work this time as angry bands of children's rights advocates took to the streets demanding justice.
There are an estimated 100,000 children exploited in the sex industry in the Philippines and government policy in the past six years has veered away from prosecuting foreign tourists to ignoring children's complaints of rape and abuse. It is only the non-governmental organisations that are trying to get justice for children.
Last November, an unusual study found that family and relatives are recruiting children for the prostitution industry. The study by End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) found that the recruiters claimed that they were helping the children.
The price paid by the brothels and sex club per child delivered is about 70 Euros. When they are recruited and trained to be prostitutes, the teenagers say they do it to help their families. In reality they spend most of the money on themselves and their friends, taking drugs and alcohol and buying clothes and cell phones.
14-year-old girls living with 70 year old foreign men as sex comfort girls is so common that the government officials wonder what all the fuss is about. "They are getting paid, right? So what's the problem?" One local official asked.
It is a pervading attitude these days and the public outcry against the likes of Jalosjos had long faded from public consciousness, until the possibility of a pardon was announced.
The disastrous Tsunami in South East Asia wiped out thousands of resorts and thousands of tourists will likely flock to the Philippines which was spared the devastation. However, many more sex tourists will come here too.
The work of public awareness building and child advocacy has to go on until the conscience of the nation is stirred and foreign governments will demand improvements in the protection of children before giving economic aid. [End]
