Int’l group honors child rights crusader
(By Tonette Orejas,
Inquirer Central Luzon
December 13, 2006)
|
|
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-TEN years ago when she was a 12-year-old street child, her court testimony sent to prison two foreigners who had sexually abused her and another girl her age.
Since then, Pia Corvera has not stopped fighting for children’s rights-and continues to reap recognition for her mission.
The latest feather in her cap is the Woman’s Opportunity Award from the from the Soroptimist International of Tokyo-Ginza in Japan.
“Hindi ako makapaniwala (I couldn’t believe it),” Corvera told the INQUIRER by phone from Olongapo City on Saturday.
She said awards-and success-were farthest from her mind, shuttling as she was between finishing a two-year practical nursing course and working as a facilitator at the Preda Foundation, the group that had plucked her from the streets.
The Woman’s Opportunity Award is given to “young women who have the potential to lead and make a valuable contribution to society,” according to Soroptimist International.
Corvera was honored for her efforts to rebuild her life while helping others start anew and constantly asking local and international groups to protect children.
Sanae Nakajima
The award was given after Corvera completed a series of speeches in Japan on the sponsorship of the Sanae Nakajima (Free the Children), which seeks a stop to child labor.
According to Corvera, the latest trip to Japan-her third-enabled her to interact with parents, community councils and civic organizations and discuss the need to band together to protect children from various forms of exploitation.
On Nov. 23, Soroptimist International’s Nozomi Hirayama, representing its president Hiroko Kittaka, traveled to Preda headquarters in Olongapo to hand the award to Corvera.
With it came 100,000 yen (about P50,000), which Corvera has put in a bank for use in her hospital training next year.
Corvera said she had lost track of the number of times she spoke at local and international conferences.
But her message remains the same: “I always tell [my audience] to protect the children, to ensure a safe society for them, and to provide them a good future.”
Child sex worker
Corvera is an authentic face and a strong voice representing street children who become sex workers as a result of desperation, deceit or greed.
Her own case involved a difficult court trial where she stood up to her abusers and ensured that Thomas Breuer and Lennart Van Empel of Germany and the Netherlands, respectively, were convicted of child sexual abuse.
On Dec. 18, 1996, Breuer was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, and Van Empel, one year.
Corvera consented to reveal her identity in 1997.
The celebrated trial drew world attention to a problem often dismissed as just one of life’s realities.
The five-page chronology of Corvera’s case is an example of how some policemen, National Bureau of Investigation agents and lawyers can plant land mines on the long road to justice.
But it also shows hoe priests, including Preda founder Fr. Shay Cullen, nuns, social workers and justice and immigration officials can move as one to see the case through.
They took off from the efforts of the wife of an official in the world-famous resort of Boracay, where she and her friend, identified only as MC, were taken by their abusers.
Cullen, an Irishman of the Columban order, did not give up on the two girls, and took the case directly to German authorities.
Within nine days, Breuer and Van Empel were behind bars, and the 12-year-old Corvera was released from doubt of self-hate.
“Pia is an amazing young woman,” said Cullen.
Courage
In 2003, Missio, the German Catholic bishops’ agency for international mission work, honored Corvera for her courage in pursuing justice against her and her friend’s abusers.
Missio said her case had inspired the agency to campaign against sex tourism and child abuse.
In receiving the
honor, Corvera called on President Macapagal-Arroyo to put an end to the
growing industry of prostitution in the country and to save children
from various forms of abuse.
Fast Links