THE mother who pleaded guilty to trafficking her children and other minors, is a success story for those who advocate the protection of women and children.
“To me it is a success… Kanang 20 years kadyot ra,” Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, chairperson of the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) told reporters on Thursday.
The mother pleaded guilty to a lower offense of simple trafficking in persons, thus reducing her sentence from life imprisonment to 20 years in jail.
She was charged with forcing her four children and four other minors to perform lewd acts which were streamed live on the internet, in her hometown in Barangay Ibabao, Cordova, in 2016.
The choice to plead guilty reduces her sentence from a life imprisonment to 20 years in jail, lawyer John Tanagho, director of International Justice Mission (IJM) Cebu, said.
Magpale, meantime said incarceration of parents convicted of exploiting their children may not be enough but they should also be given counseling.
“Ang kanang mismong parents kinahanglan og psychological gyod para marehab sad ug makaingon nato nga nagbasol nana (Those parents should undergo a psychological rehabilitation so we can say that they are remorseful),” Magpale said.
Magpale also cited Cebu Daily News’ five-part special feature about cyberpornography and the success story of two victims.
She said she was concerned that convicted parents would return to the same illegal activity after serving time in prison.
“Duda man gud mousab ba unya maayo na kaayo ang mga bata. Mao na among worry (We suspect that they would return to their illegal acts, while their children have already recovered. We are concerned about that),” she said.
“Sakit kaayo na namo nga moingon ang mga bata nga maayo unta makapasaylo sad sila nga atong government. Tawo rasad ta ba, (It is painful for us to hear their children asking us, the government, to forgive their parents. We are also humans) they need parents,” she said.
Aside from the 20 years of jail time, Vilma was also ordered to pay a fine of P1 million, P100,000 in moral damages and P100, 000 in exemplary damages.
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