Catanduanes Forum

RP-UK join hands to run after sex offenders

To keep sex offenders from evading punishment, the United Kingdom and the Philippines have signed a mechanism allowing both countries to run after British pedophiles in the country.

Under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed in London on Saturday by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and his British counterpart, Lord Mandelson, the Philippine and UK officials can cooperate in investigative, prosecutorial and judicial processes related to criminal matters.

Colin Crorkin, deputy chief of mission of the British Embassy in Manila, said the agreement will prevent registered and active pedophiles from escaping justice or from eyeing the Philippines as a place to stay.

“This agreement is an indication of our continued cooperation. With this arrangement, the convicted pedophiles here can be brought back to the UK to face prosecution," Crorkin said.

Britain has listed over 5,000 to 6,000 known pedophile tourists looking for prey in the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and some Arab nations.

While the treaty increases the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries in combating transnational and serious crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, and exploitation of women and children, it also provides the legal framework for either country to obtain custody of criminal offenders who have sought refuge in the other’s territory.

Apart from the UK, the Philippines has signed similar agreements with the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Micronesia, Spain, Switzerland, India and China. - GMANews.TV Tuesday, September 22, 2009

House approves anti-child porn bill
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated August 26, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives, in a unanimous vote, approved yesterday on third and final reading the anti-child pornography bill that will prosecute and penalize pedophiles, pornographers, and operators of cyber-sex dens and Internet cafés who prey on children.

Tarlac Rep. Monica “Nikki” Prieto-Teodoro, one of the authors of the bill, hailed the passage of House Bill 6440, otherwise known as the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, that “would take legal action on violators and provide a deterrent to would-be offenders.”

“We must protect our children. We must not allow their abuse and exploitation. It’s about time that we apprehend and prosecute these child pornography propagators and pedophiles,” Teodoro said.

Hopefully with the approval of the bill, pedophiles now would think twice before victimizing Filipino children, she noted.

“The lack of stringent laws against child pornography and the inefficient prosecution of perpetrators are the key factors that make the Philippines a haven for those who produce, use and distribute child pornography,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro, who heads the House committee on the welfare of children, said that the country must send a “strong message to child pornographers and foreign pedophiles that the Philippines will not tolerate such acts of exploitation to children.”

HB 6440 will “institutionalize the country’s sincere effort to safeguard our children and educate everyone on the threat of child pornography as this takes advantage of their innocence and poverty.”

The bill defines child pornography as any representation, be it visual, audio or written form, of a child engaged in real or simulated sexual activities or demonstration of the sexual parts of a child for sexual purposes.

Under the bill, any person who produces, distributes, publishes and commits other related acts would be subject to the penalties for their actions. Violators may include Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Internet Content Hosts.

“People who use equipment and gadgets for their personal pleasure or gain illegally should be held accountable,” Teodoro said.

“More importantly, people who take advantage of children’s innocence with the use of these equipment should be punished.”

In the Philippines, children as young as seven fall victim to child pornographers.

They are commissioned to perform sex in cybersex dens, the most common online form of pornography.

Digital cameras and MMS-enabled cellular phones have made child pornography easier to commit and more difficult for authorities to apprehend and prosecute.

“An estimated 100,000 websites carry child pornographic images. Approximately 20 percent of Internet pornography involves children and over 2,000 child pornographic images are posted online everyday,” Teodoro also said.

Aside from Teodoro, Representatives Darlene Custodio, Rene Velarde, Ignacio Arroyo, Rufus Rodriguez, Narciso Santiago and Matias Defensor co-authored the bill.

This is really very sad and scary as what dave said. if it is true that the man watching the foreigner debased the child is the father of the girl, then the more that the authorities should act on this. it is not normal for a father to just sit down and watched his daughter being abused by anyone and not do anything about it. kahit na nga ang hayop ipinagtatanggol ang sariling anak....Hindi kaya may mga pimp na rin sa catanduanes prying on the innocent children?

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catanduanes will always be in my heart!

Personal knowledge of the crime lang tabi an natitindugan kan complainant ta dai man sya nakapag-produce nin physical evidence mala biglaan so insedente, dai s'ya nin camera asin babae pa.
Alagad reported na po n'ya ini sa MSWDO, kaya kun nag-kundusir man lamang kutana nin imbestigasyon malamang sinda ang nakapagdesisyon nin pagsampa nin makakanigong kaso. Kun nagpasunod an MSWDO nin "protective custody" malamang tuminuga an mga aki - na pinugulan kan suspetsado kan bisitahon an mga aki kan PNP & MSWDO sa harong kaini - kan pinagibo saiya kan foreigner.
Digdi nagdesisyon an Special Women's & Children's Desk nin Virac PNP na isampa an kaso alagad dai siguro uminabot sa minimum requirement na tolo ta duwa man sana an may personal knowledge kan insedente.
Bako man po ako abugado, nagamakulog lang po.

I've read that story in Catanduanes Tribune and you are right. It is in fact scary! A father watching his daughter being exploited and did not do a thing? Scary and sad.

Scary too that DSWD is obviously at a loss of what to do!

I'm happy, though, that there are still "good neighbors" around to, at the very least, bring the subject matter out for all of us to be vigilant!

Dave