Philippine News Digest 67

Contents:
-American, German accused of abusing kids

-Move to deport American charged of child abuse meets protest

-2M Filipino women battered

American, German accused of abusing kids

American Paul Jeffrey Anderson, 55, and German Rainer Fahrenherst, 61, were accused of sexually abusing 13 children in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro and are temporarily detained in the Puerto Galera police station for pedophilia. Two girls, both 12 years old, assisted by their teacher, reported the case of sexual molestation on January 14. Most of the children are migrants from Mindanao and Romblon who thought they could make more money by selling friendship bonds along the beaches of Puerto Galera. Aily Cobarrubias, Municipal Social Welfare Office (MSWO) chief pleaded to the parents of the possible victims of child abuse not to allow them to be deceived by foreigners who, upon knowing of their poor condition, would offer to improve their life or help the children. She said it is possible that these children were taken nude pictures for posting in the internet.

Move to deport American charged of child abuse meets protest

The move to deport American Thomas Glenn Jarrel, 34, of Cincinnati, Ohio who was arrested January 19 at a nightclub in San Fernando, Pampanga on a warrant issued by the US Armed Forces, caused protest among civil society. Jarrel is facing criminal charges of child prostitution in Angeles City for employing minors under 15 years without permits and for engaging, promoting, procuring and/or inducing child prostitution. In a letter to Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, Fr. Shay Cullen of PREDA Foundation said the summary deportation of suspects on trial seems to be an escape route from accountability and justice. He added that the demand by the US government to stop the legal proceedings against Jarrel is totally unacceptable and a violation of the rights of the children and the people of the Philippines to have justice done.

2M Filipino women battered

About 2.16 million Filipino women, or nine percent of women aged 18 and above, have experienced physical abuse, with majority saying the harm was inflicted by their partners including husbands, boyfriends and live-in partners, according to a Social Weather Stations survey. An even larger percentage of men- 12 percent or 2.8 million- admitted having physically harmed someone, according to the study titled “Social Weather Report on Domestic Violence Against Women.” Despite these findings, women’s groups behind the study stressed that awareness of women’s rights is at 69 percent now, higher that it was in 1995 when it was 53 percent. Source: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 24 January 2004.