MANILA, Philippines ? For editing and providing pornographic materials to Internet websites, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently charged 13 persons who also reportedly used legitimate ?outsourcing? companies in Pasig City as fronts.

NBI-Special Task Force (STF) head agent Arnel Dalumpines said their surveillance operations showed that incorporators and employees of Stratvisions Inc., Mytuscany Inc. and Versomina Corp. at Centerpoint building, Garnett Road, Ortigas, ?enhanced? smut pictures and videos which would then be transmitted to their clients. The materials, he said, would be posted on the Internet and could be accessed by paying customers.

The suspects, who were charged with violation of Article 201 (obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows) of the Revised Penal Code, were identified as: Jose Zarate, Ramon Velasco, Teresa Punzalan, Francis Ademe, Reynaldo Dimla, Avaline Calata, Virgilio Custodio, Jerry Javelosa, Jose Reyes, Ernesto Alano, Alberto Garcia, Jovy Flores and Joel Aquino.

The NBI, however, failed to arrest any of the suspects during the Oct. 10 search operations but seized 10 computer units used in their activities.

On Oct. 24, the NBI invited the incorporators of the companies to an inquiry but a security guard told the agency that they had all resigned.