Couple wants children sent to grandma

THE couple arrested for allegedly exploiting their children in their cyber pornography racket is asking social welfare officials to release their kids to their grandmother.

The pregnant mother, who is detained at the mini-cell of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) said despite everything that happened, she and her husband continue to care for their children.

The five children and one niece were supposedly disrobing before an online audience of foreigners when NBI-7 agents barged into their house in Cordova town last Wednesday morning.

The woman said the children just finished taking their bath and were about to dress when the raid occurred.

She said she performed alone before the foreigners and she never asked her children to perform sexual acts in front of foreigners online.

The two said they engaged in cyber pornography to earn a living.

The couple used to work in a factory in Mandaue City.  They have seven children aged 15, 14, 11, nine, seven and four.

The couple’s 14-year-old son wasn’t around during the raid.

The NBI-7 instead rescued the woman’s 13-year-old niece.

Charges of child abuse, qualified human trafficking and child pornography were filed against the couple before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

The children are under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) where they are undergoing stress de-briefing.

For their part, the Cebu Archdiocese called on its parish priests to help campaign against cyber pornography.

“Perhaps they are becoming so lenient in our catechism’s work and evangelization’s work and how to work with the basic ecclesial community here in Cebu where we can concentrate this matter within our families,” Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said.

He called on the Cordova municipal government and other stakeholders to intensify their campaign against cyber pornography.

Capitol officials met with the Cordova municipal government to map plans to shut down cybersex dens in the town.

The Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB) said Cordova and Minglanilla towns were identified as hotspots for cyber pornography in southern Cebu along with the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Talisay. Repoter Ador Vincent Mayol, Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla and Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya