3 fall in cyberporn raid

CEBU, Philippines - Three women allegedly operating cybersex dens were arrested while several minors were rescued yesterday after the National Bureau of Investigation simultaneously raided three houses in two Lapu-Lapu City barangays yesterday around 6 a.m.

Those arrested were identified as Jeramie Paquibot, 25; Editha Aying, 49; and Grace Ybañez, 31. Paquibot and Aying are adjacent neighbors in Sitio Soong 1, Barangay Mactan, while Ybañez lives in Sitio Timpolok, Barangay Babag 1.

More than 10 minors were rescued during the raid which was carried out with the International Justice Mission; the minors are now under the custody of Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The search warrant used in the operations was issued by Judge Toribio Quiwag of the Regional Trial Court Branch 37, Lapu-Lapu City.

Before the operation, the suspects were placed under surveillance for three months after information was received from police authorities in the United Kingdom. NBI-7 assistant regional director Augusto Eric Isidoro said that the operation stemmed from information provided by the London Police National Crime Agency after they arrested an Irishman in London who is allegedly engaged in the cybersex business.

The Irishman was identified only as a certain “Patrick” and the London police reportedly seized pornographic materials inside his house. There were also nude photos of minors from Lapu-Lapu City.

The NBI was able to trace Patrick’s transactions to the suspects in Lapu-Lapu City.

The NBI confiscated central processing units, mobile phones, keyboards, laptops and data storage devices. They also confiscated receipts from money remittance centers with transactions from different countries, which, according to Isidoro, indicated payments from foreigners who patronized the minors engaged in child pornography.

The house of Ybañez happened to be near the Babag Elementary School and the barangay hall.

Isidoro said that Paquibot, Aying, and Ybañez may face charges for violations of the Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-trafficking in Persons Act, the RA 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, and the RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. He said that the Irishman will face the same charges to be filed by the NBI against him.

Ybañez said she met Patrick in 2008 upon the recommendation of Aying. They got married in 2009 but Ybañez said she broke up with him in 2010 after discovering his involvement in cyberpornography. 

She then identified Aying as the mastermind of the illegal activity who recruited children to be brought to the Irishman.

Ybañez said she has not seen her husband since then and did not even know he was in jail. She said that two of her children and her nephews were also brought to DWSD but denied their involvement.  Aying admitted that she was the one who referred Ybañez to Patrick who was looking for a wife at that time. She said she him through a common friend in Cordova and communicated with him online.

She also confirmed that Paquibot and the Irishman were living together when he and Ybañez separated. But she denied recruiting children for him.  —Christell Fatima M. Tudtud and Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento/BRP