CEBU, Philippines - A few days after the successful raid on a suspected cybersex den in barangay Pasil, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday returned to the place together with the two agents from the United States Homeland Security Department to look for other child victims of cyber pornography.
A 10-year-old girl, who admitted being one of those exploited by the suspects arrested by the NBI during the Monday evening raid, was invited together with her mother to give her statement at the NBI office.
According to the child, she started to strip in front of the web camera for a fee when she was still eight years old. The child said the money she earned from posing naked go to her mother. She said there are nine of them in the family and her father only drives a trisikad for a living.
Like the four other children rescued during the raid the child also identified Archie Cuizon Abala as the one who recruited her.
Abala together with Stella Marie Lopez, the owner of the house used as a cybersex den, were already charged for violation of the Republic Act 9208 otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and violation of RA 7610 or the Child Abuse Law.
NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare said the children were interviewed by the US Homeland Security Department agents for their own investigation to arrest foreigners patronizing cyber pornography in the US.
The agents told Macabare the US is very strict in cyber pornography especially when it involves children, the penalty in the US for those convicted for the crime is lifetime imprisonment.
Aside from the testimonies of the children, the US agents have also secured copies of the computer hard drive used in the illegal activity for electronic autopsy.
The agents arrived in Cebu last Wednesday to conduct their own investigation into the rampant cyber pornography using children involving their citizens.
No bail has been recommended against Abala and Lopez before the Regional Trial Court yesterday after inquest prosecutor Ernesto Narido Jr., found probable cause to indict both of the accused for trafficking in large scale.
Lopez and Abala were arrested during the raid, which also resulted in the rescue of three children aged nine to 17 years old.
Another suspect, Alfredo Fernandez, the live-in partner of Lopez and co-owner of the house and Internet café, escaped but a separate preliminary investigation will be conducted against him.
He has ten days to file a counter-affidavit.
According to the investigation, the children were allegedly recruited by Abala, who taught them how to use an Internet chatroom, helped them set up a web chat account and assisted them in securing a money transfer account.
The posing is done in private rooms at the second floor of the internet shop. Internet is being run through a piso-piso per five minutes operation. The minors drop one peso coin so they can continuously avail of Internet access.
One of the girls said that foreigners instruct them to pose nude and have intercourse in front of the camera and are given payments through a money transfer under the name of an adult neighbor or friend.
In their affidavit, agents Renan Oliva, Rey Villordon, Greg Tomagan, Jed Hife, Florante Gaoiran and Teddy Saavedra, dela Cruz revealed how the victims were brought to the Lopez home by Abala.
During the raid, agent Villordon and another NBI agent posed as customers and paid to use one of the consoles on the ground floor while keeping tabs on the stairs leading to the second floor. Other agents positioned themselves near the house.
Meanwhile, the Cebu City government is ready to provide assistance to the law enforcement authorities to help them build up their case against those who were arrested.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, however, admitted that he do not know what to do so that the city can help stop cybersex operators, saying that the matter should be handled by the law enforcement authorities.
The mayor said it is now the time that the members of the International Police should come in to help the National Bureau of Investigation and the police to find out what are the countries that are in contacts with the cybersex operators in Cebu City.
Osmeña said the parents should also be very active to ensure that their children will not be victimized by cybersex operators. — Fred P. Languido, Jasmin U. Labaco and Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)