Two PCWC members receive death threats

CEBU, Philippines - Two of the five members of the technical working group of the Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children (PCWC) received “threats” to their life.

The threats were made through text messages, said PCWC chairperson and Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale.

Magpale has already requested Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador to investigate the threats received by provincial social welfare and development officer Marivic Garces and assistant provincial prosecutor Lolita Lumanta.

Garces said she did not consider the text messages as threats but rather “unpleasant” messages. Lumanta on the other hand refused to talk about it.

 But Magpale said what Lumanta received were “death threats.”

Garces admitted she and her family were bothered by the text messages. She allegedly started receiving it ago week ago when they were having a strategic planning session with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in Moalboal.

 “Malditaha gud diay nimo maam, di gyud ka madag areglo, (how brave you are…not to yield a compromise)”

“Gahi gyud diay mo diha, barato ra bayang kinabuhi (Are you really that tough, don’t you know that life is so cheap)”

 “Hawod gyud kaayo ka dinha mam kay ikaw man gyuy ila padesisyonon (you are really that powerful for them to let you decide),” these are some of the text messages received by Garces.

Garces said it was the first time she received such kind of messages since the creation of the PCWC and the Provincial Women’s Commission where she sits as member.

Both PCWC and PWC are very active in the intervention of cases involving abused children and women in the province.

Magpale believes that the threats have something to do with the cases they are now handling.

Despite the threats, Magpale said it cannot stop them from their commitment against human trafficking, cyber-pornography, and the protection of women and children.

The latest case they are handling involves a Swedish national who was arrested in Cebu for bringing along with him a nine-year old girl from Masbate province.

Conny Logstreom was charged for two counts of child abuse for allegedly exploiting children in prostitution and other sexual abuse, and for keeping minors in his company in a hotel.

They could not however say whether the accused has something to do with the threats. —(FREEMAN)