Australian national charged for trafficking, child abuse

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has indicted an Australian national for three cases before the court.

State Prosecutor Ethel Miel elevated the cases of anti-child pornography, child abuse and expanded anti-trafficking in persons act to the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City after Peter James Robinson, 51, opted not to file a counter-affidavit.

Robinson was charged for allegedly recruiting 11 girls and four boys, all minors, for prostitution, pornography and sexual exploitation.

Miel recommended a P175,000 bail for Robinson’s temporary liberty for the case of pornography and P200,000 for child abuse. However, she recommended no bail for the case of expanded anti-trafficking in persons act.

The alleged cohort of Robinson, a 17-year-old girl who was charged for expanded anti-trafficking in persons act for confederating with the Australian national, was allowed to post bail for P200,000 for being a minor.

The two accused were arrested on June 24, 2014 at around 5 p.m. by the operatives of Cordova Police Station while they were accompanying the 15 minors at a resort in Cordova.

The operatives, together with the representatives from the Children’s Legal Bureau and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, rescued the minors. The minors ages eight to 15 were turned over to the DSWD for custody.

CLB lawyer Noemie Abarintos said they received information prior to the operation that Robinson was with the minors. She added that during operation, the authorities recovered laptops, Universal Serial Bus flash drives and cellular phones from Robinson, a resident of Parkway Ave., Filinvest City, Alabang.

According to Abarintos, the 15 minor victims were not new victims of Robinson.

“We learned that it is second batch. There were first batch-36 and we are now tracing this 36,” she said.

Meanwhile, Abarintos warned the parents of the victims to cooperate with them or else they will file charges against them for qualified trafficking.

With the number of victims, Abarintos said “it is alarming” and needs a legislation to address the matter.

Robinson’s lawyer, Ferdinand Dungog, earlier said that they choose not to answer the allegation filed against his client because he intends to file a motion to quash information of the case in court questioning the legality of the arrest.

He added that during the arrest, his client was not committing a crime and no warrant of arrest was presented.— /ATO (FREEMAN)