Despite the challenges authorities, especially the local government units of Cebu, face in stopping human trafficking and cyberpornography in their areas, Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale said that they would remain firm on doing what they could to stop these kinds of illegal activities.
Magpale said that they would continue to coordinate with other agencies and organizations that are at the forefront of the fight against human trafficking and cyberpornography.
Just recently, at least three minors, ages six, nine and 11, were rescued from sexual exploitation in separate operations conducted in Cordova town and Talisay City last Monday (April 23).
Magpale said they would not stop with their raids and operations in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bidlisiw, Children’s Legal Bureau Inc. (CLB), and International Justice Mission (IJM).
She also said that one town in the southern part of Cebu, had been under surveillance due to reports of cyberpornography operations.
Despite the arrests in their operations, Magpale said that they still found it difficult to trace the roots of cyberpornography, who are the “sponsors” or the persons suspected to be in the business of exploiting children to perform lewd acts online.
“We do not know kon diin ang source pero naay established clients tawag nila sponsors,” she said.
“They have a list of clients and know their numbers. However, the victims have no knowledge of who among their family knows the clients’ numbers,” she said in Cebuano.
On reports that some of the suspects of the illegal operation were once victims of sexual abuse, Magpale said that they could only rehabilitate the victims and prosecute the suspects.
She said that they did not have a program for those arrested, who were once victims of sexual abuse.
On the agreement with remittance companies, Magpale said they already agreed with owners of money remittance outlets to report any suspicious sender, who sends money at least twice or thrice in a day.
“We agreed that remittance firms will give authorities the name of the person, who will send money twice or thrice a day, because we are sure that that is not a remittance from an OFW (overseas Filipino worker),” said Magpale in Cebuano.
But Magpale said these people had also changed their style of operation and would move from one remittance outlet to another to withdraw their money.
She said because of this, we have lost a source of information about these people, and now we are just relying on tips or reports from neighbors of those committing cyberpornography or human trafficking.
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