Who will care if we don't?
June 19, 2013 ·
Recently Fr Shay Cullen wrote to thank all those benefactors who have generously supported the efforts of PREDA in the Philippines.
Young boys illegally detained in the Philippines
I write to thank you for your prayers and support for the efforts of PREDA to carry out its mission to promote fairness, justice and freedom for all the oppressed and exploited people we can save.
Those who need our help the most are the children who are trapped and exploited in the sex bars and jails. They are victims of slavery at a young age. They suffer greatly and are traumatized and can be damaged for life if we don’t rescue and save them. Your support assisted us with the following arrest and rescues.
Bar owners go on trial
In February, the PREDA social workers organized a rescue of 13 young girls from the sex bars in Subic Town, 5kms from PREDA. We got them to safety and the bar owners were arrested and are going on trial. There were three underage children among them.
We had an Australian Film Maker and a US TV Media Crew to record the operation and it was shown on US ABC TV in June and is due to be shown on ABC TV Australia.
Caged like animals
The PREDA social workers and myself went personally to rescue two young boys from illegal detention a few weeks ago and succeeded, but while there in the jail, I saw two small girls in a cage, like animals. They had nothing, no change of clothes, no beds, no toilet, just a bucket, no curtain, no privacy and adult men reaching through the bars from the joining cell are able to touch and hold them.
They were small 13 and 74 year-old girls accused of theft and kidnapping. This is not allowed by law even. At that young age they are not criminally liable. They had been in jail for three months and bad things may have happened to them. They were in danger. We immediately took action and got them out.
We are all one in this important work and we thank you for sharing with us for the abused children. We are trusting in the power of eternal goodness and that Jesus is with us. And you too are with us.
People’s Recovery Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc.
Fr Shay Cullen has been a missionary in the Philippines since 1969 and is the founder of PREDA.
