THERE’S no lawyer for 69-year-old American retiree Harold Glover, who was brought to the Bogo City Prosecutor’s Office to face charges of alleged human trafficking last Friday afternoon.
Glover, a pensioner from Georgia, USA, was arrested inside his rented home in barangay Taytayan last Wednesday evening in the company of two underage girls. Four female minors were rescued that evening.
He was escorted by Bogo City police and had no lawyer with him. Glover faces charges of human trafficking, attempted child prostitution and rape.
Vince Isles, Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) lawyer who represented Glover’s recent victims said in a text message to reporters last Friday that Glover waived his right to contest his detention under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code.
Article 125 provides that penalties shall be imposed on “public officers or employees who shall detain any persons to the proper judicial authorities within the period of six hours, for crimes or offenses punishable by correctional penalties, or their equivalent; and eighteen hours, for crimes or offenses punishable by afflictive or capital penalties, or their equivalent.”
By waiving his right, Isles said Glover will remain detained at the Bogo City Jail while the Bogo City Prosecutor’s Office will conduct a preliminary investigation.
Isles said Fiscal Ivy Tejano contacted a lawyer specifically to certify Glover’s waiver.
Come forward
Under the law, a waiver cannot be made by a respondent unless a lawyer is present.
But there is no word yet on whether Glover hired a lawyer to defend him.
CLB spokesperson Noemi Truya said they will seek out the foreigner’s previous victims in order to strengthen the case to be filed against him.
“We will wait. But if there will be others we can identify, they will be taken care of by the local social welfare office. I urge them to come forward,” she told Cebu Daily News
A 16-year-old informant, a previous victim of Glover’s, disclosed to CLB that she knows at least 10 other girls in her circle of friends that have been “used” by the foreigner as well.
Other victims
Truya said this number only represents children the informant is acquainted with.
“Majority are from Bogo City but there could be other victims from outside the locality,” she said.
CLB is now checking on other possible places Glover might have frequented in the past to determine whether he had other victims outside Bogo City, Truya said.
She said they received reports that the foreigner has a girlfriend in southern Cebu.
Truya said it is “possible” that Glover did not limit his activities to Bogo City alone.
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