Unspeakable Crimes Against Children
Document Title: Unspeakable Crimes Against
Children
Document Ref No: R9502101
First Published: Reflections - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publication Date: 10th February 1995
Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC
The Defense of Children International (DCI) was quoted last week
(PDI 20/2/95)
as saying that they had reported details of an international syndicate selling
Filipino children to foreign pedophiles but that the police and the NBI
did not appear to be interested.
Now the Presidential Anti-crime Commission has evidence that the police
in Manila are selling the children to foreign tourists and diplomats information
independently confirmed by journalists.
Children's rights workers are familiar with this for a long time but could
never prove it . I can well understand the frustration and anger that many
social workers and child rights workers feel when they see the pedophile
criminals paying off the so called "law enforcers".
Just before Christmas I personally went to the NBI headquarters to the task
force to protect children to arrange for social workers to lead NBI agents
to the suspected Manila headquarters of a syndicate trafficking in Amerasian
children from Olongapo and Angles a few months ago .
The social workers had infiltrated the syndicate and led the agents to the
house where one Amerasian was waiting to be sent abroad.
A few days later the child returned to Olongapo alone amid total silence
from the NBI. We can hardly blame the public from harboring dark suspicions
about the trustworthiness of the NBI child protection units and the police
.
Social workers had learned from the inside that the children were sent to
Brunei and from there to the United Kingdom where they were being sold into
prostitution.
We also received information about diplomats picking up children for prostitution
but again with the police part of it how can justice be done?
Government policy is it seems to protect the foreigners and brand the children
as deviants and prostitutes .
After all it is the government officials who are getting the Overseas Development
funds for their projects with hefty kick backs from the contractors so they
reason 'why kill this golden goose by prosecuting their nationals for the
sake of few dirty street kids' ?
Those kids can end up lacerated, raped and killed. In a court case in Turnhout,
Belgium a Briton, Allen Richard publisher of Sparticus is accused of incitement
to sexual exploitation.
During the trial the court was told of a video showing two Filipino boys
being raped and murdered, one buried in smokey mountain.
These unspeakable crimes it seems are more common here than authorities
will admit.
"Reflections" will be reporting from the British House of Commons
in London in a few weeks time where members of Parliament will be lobbied
to pass a law to prosecute British pedophiles who abuse children while abroad.
Reflections is doing it's part to stop the demand for child sex. In the
Philippines we must stop the supply.
The shocking French television documentary on child abuse by tourists in
the Philippines shown a few weeks ago provoked embarrassment and in some
cases outrage .
But if it takes international embarrassment to get some official action
here to save children then so be it. "Reflections" was interviewed
for that documentary and pointed out that the inability or lack of interest
by law enforcers to protect children and apprehend the suspects was a major
cause for the spread of crimes against children.
The DSWD confirms a big increase in the number of cases of child abuse being
reported, 1,429 last year, 343 of them in Metro Manila. There were 484 incidents
of child rape and 321 cases of incest.
But that means there are many thousands more unreported. The problem is
of epidemic dimensions and we are just discovering it.
Corruption in the Police, Judiciary and Department of Justice must be ended
by no nonsense enforcement of the law against them. Just and honest officials
ought be promoted. Local government officials need to be charged for the
obstruction of justice when they harass social workers helping sexually
abused children as happens here in Olongapo city.
The officials want to retain the myth that there is no child prostitution
in order it seems to protect sex tourism and a dubious political image.
If we as a nation cannot defend our abused children how can we defend the
Spratleys ? If we allow the children to be sold to foreigners for sex what
nation will continue to respect us or come to our assistance?
Where is our pride and dignity?
Shame and embarrassment comes our way with every new revelation and the
once beautiful Philippines is becoming to be know as a child sex capital
of Asia.
Our government will only become a object of derision and honest intelligent
professionals will never join a corrupt regime leaving us in the hands of
the ignorant and the evil.
The just and upright members of government must take decisive action to
save the reputation of the country from being destroyed by a few vice ridden
officials
Its time to cleanse our house and stop these abominable crimes against children.
The Government is ready to spend billions of pesos on useless weapons that
kill but it should be spending on training and educating prosecutors and
judges of proven integrity and honesty.
Unblemished Special Prosecutors should handle all child abuse cases as is
the case in Olongapo city where provincial prosecutor Dorintino Floresta
a man of proven integrity has been appointed. This is a sign of hope thanks
to Secretary Franklin Drilon.
It is only when the enforcement and judicial systems begins to work effectively
for children can we truly say that as a nation we are not hypocrites and
that we love our children.
