Arleigh Sitoy
If you still can’t beat them, shame them.
Cebu Provincial Boardmember Arleigh Sitoy said he is considering posting shame signs on houses in Cordova town that are being used in cyberpornography activities as he calls on communities to put pressure on their neighbors who are engaged in such type of illegal activities.
Sitoy – who also served as mayor of Cordova – said he will have no second thoughts in posting signs that says “cybersex-prone house” with the end-view of driving away the perpetrators of such activities that have tainted the image of the town here and abroad.
Sitoy’s proposed “shame campaign” is reminiscent of the tack adopted in the 1990s by former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim who spray-painted houses of suspected drug pushers.
In an interview last Friday, Sitoy said is willing to go as far as urging barangays to ostracize their neighbors who continue to submit themselves and their children to the illegal sex trade.
The legislator admits that the scheme is a “bit harsh” but said he sees no better way to counter the “economic temptation” brought about by easy money from cybersex.
“It’s hard to stop a livelihood. That’s why I want them to be ostracized. Filipino value nalang atong ig-on ba nga angay ikauwaw nga mao na imong gibuhat. Kay kung economic ang imong strategy, pildi ka,” he said.
(Let’s just go for the Filipino values, that they have to be ashamed of what they’re doing. Because if you use the economic strategy, it will not work).
Sitoy thought about employing the scheme after he received reports on cybersex cases when he was still serving as the mayor of Cordova a few years ago.
During the time, he summoned the reported families and personally warned them of their being ostracized by the whole community if they carry on with the practice especially if they involve children.
“Stop that especially when you involve children or else, I will have you ostracized and I will put a sign in your door saying this is a cybersex-prone house,” said Sitoy.
“A bit of a Draconian approach and a maginoo pero medyo bastos na mayor. Di naman madala. It can’t be stopped,” he added.
However, he said authorities have to establish probable cause before resorting to ostracism, adding that they must present evidence indicating that the crime exists at the location.
“There must be probable cause. After that I move. That’s what I did before, even with drugs. Because sometimes, you can’t just arrest anyone without probable cause. We’ll have to involve Filipino values and ostracism,” he said.
Sitoy has since moved on as municipal mayor and now represents Cebu’s 6th district in the Provincial Board (PB) yet cybersex in the southern coastal town of Mactan Island has continued to proliferate.
Cordova has the highest number of police arrests when it comes to cases of child trafficking and cyberporn operations based on provincial police records since 2008.
Last year, a police task force arrested a 31-year-old woman who allegedly instructed her daughters to take off their clothes and perform lewd acts in front of a camera inside their house in barangay Ibabao, Cordova.
A similar case happened in the same barangay in 2011.
Aside from Cordova, cases of child trafficking has also been recorded in Dumanjug, Pinamungajan, Balamban, Toledo, Daanbantayan, Bogo, Consolacion, Minglanilla and Argao.
More convenient
With the proliferation of laptops, portable Wi-Fi devices and smartphones, Sitoy said cyberporn can now be performed by “anyone and anywhere.”
Cyberporn players can perform sexual acts and live-stream it online regardless of location, even in schools, motels, cars, he said.
“Even in school, cars, because that is money. What’s hard about that are the children. Now when they’re too young, those are minors and you can’t prosecute them,” he said.
But even with the advances in technology, Sitoy said they can still make life harder for players if his proposed ordinance that seeks to penalize money transfer shops proven to be cash conduits of persons engaged in cyberpornography.
The proposed ordinance already passed first public hearing. Sitoy said he plans to arrange two more hearings before he returns it to the PB for second reading.
Minor revisions are underway for the proposed ordinance which according to Sitoy will make owners of money transfer shops “more accountable.”
He said the owners have to exercise more vigilance on “suspicious transactions,” with the same local or foreign client sending or receiving money at the shop in repeated transactions in a day.
The numerous daily transactions is an indicator that the money is used for “illicit activities.”
”The point of the ordinance really is to make the owners of the money transfers accountable so that they’ll also exercise extraordinary diligence in money transfers ,” he said
“If there are suspicious transactions especially with the number. They also have to take note of the sources. It’s making it difficult.,” he added.
Sitoy said he is planning to require the shops to ask for barangay certification from its clients to prove that they are from the area.
Under the proposed ordinance, persons found guilty will face a fine of P100,000 or one year imprisonment, or both penalties, as prescribed by the court.
Aside from that, business permits of the offending business establishments will also be revoked.
But is the provincial government and police winning its bout against cyberporn? Sitoy was only able to liken the problem to illegal drugs.
“Parehas sa drugs (It’s like drugs), it’s hard to tell.”
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