Children For Sale (Philippines)
Document Title: Children For Sale (Philippines)
Document Ref No: R9709171
First Published: Isyu Magazine
Publication Date: 17th September 1997
Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC
When I take a walk in the Luneta, the mall, walk the streets in Makati or
Pasay or even in Malate park sooner or later a pimp will sidle up and mistaking
me for a tourist say, "Want a girl Jo"?
I look disinterested and ignore the pimp.
Then he says with a broad smile, "Oh!, maybe a boy, I know lots of
nice young boys, clean, friendly, you want?"
Again I look away, pulling a face of disinterested disgust hardly saying
a word.
The pimp looks puzzled for a moment and then says, "you like them young
Jo? No problem, I can get you 12, 13, 14 year old, you want? You can do
any thing you like, F.........them, anything. A thousand pesos, two thousand
for a virgin and for the pimp five hundred"
I asked him, "Are you the pimp"?
"Yes, that me, he replied. I can get them now, they are over there",
he pointed to a pillar holding up the Department of Tourism building where
two small children had emerged from the shadows and were caught in the bright
lights.
Sometimes I played along with his offer, asking more questions and the whole
world of child sexual slavery came spilling out. Some people wont believe
it happens so casually with no fear of police either. That is why I decided
to bring along a miniature video recorder and record the offers of child
sex which is in itself a crime that could get a pimp a sentence of eight
years in jail.
One day, on the street in a night club area with my Filipino friend I was
offered children for sex. "Where are they," I asked.
"I will show you", the pimp said and we got into a taxi and were
brought to a back street and were shown into a room where there were about
18 young girls. This was a child brothel too.
The manager gushed with excitement and glee at the prospect of a sale .
"This is Maria, she is 14 and you can have all night long for P2500.
This other one is Judith, 15, P2000 only. f you want a young virgin, she
will cost you P3000, but have to come back, they are very scarce nowadays"
he said, as if talking about a rare fruit that spoils easily.
Then he sent out for his best human merchandise, a small girl who was sleeping
after entertaining her last customer in an upstairs room.
She looked frail and exhausted. I was witnessing chained slavery no different
than that of the slave sales of the last century. We both made our excuses
and left. I had my miniature video camera running and the batteries had
not run out as happened on previous occasions.
Later, we realized that it was too dangerous for us to try and rescue the
children ourselves and I wrote up the report giving the names of the suspects,
or their aliases and the address which we had carefully noted.
I sent it to high police officials in the Department of the Interior offering
to cooperate and hoping they would call and discuss the crime we witnessed,
identify the suspects, give a statement and ask for the video tape.
But nine months later nothing. Silence total and absolute. The children
are still in that brothel and many more like it.
Last week, I was on my way to take a walk in the Luneta where I had been
previously offered children as will happen to any male tourist if he risks
hanging about the skating rink at night in front of the Department of Tourism
building or other haunts of pimps selling children.
I called Director Santiago Toledo and asked his assistance explaining I
was working with the Presidential Committee for the Protection of Children,
he referred me at once to the NBI anti-paedophile unit.
I went to the office of the commander with my companion and I explained
what was going on and how easy it would be to catch a notorious pimp if
an NBI agent came with me playing the role of guide.
But it was not to be. The attorney reasoned that standing around in the
park would be instigation and that would never do. No such ploy or tactic
could be used.
So the trafficking in children goes on undisturbed by NBI surveillance or
the like. I wonder how the anti-narcotics agents are able to mount buy-bust
operations with regular success and not be cited for instigation.
Not far from the commanders window, a short drive away ,small children are
still being offered as child prostitutes at the tender ages of 12 and even
less.
Paedophile paradise is well protected and it seems that the paedophiles,
local and foreign, get away with unspeakable crimes while those, who should
and could do much seem to do so little.
