‘Cordova not sole cybersex hotspot’

CORDOVA town isn’t the only locality in Cebu province that has to deal with cyber pornography, the town’s parish priest said yesterday.

Fr. Alvin Lao, parish priest of San Roque parish in Cordova, said their town should not be considered a hotspot of cyber pornography since it is also “prevalent in other parts of the country.”

He said the parish has not been remiss in its duty to protect their flock from cyber pornography as it called for a dialogue between them, the municipal government and the community to plan ways to deal with the problem.

“It is not only happening in Cordova. It’s not an isolated case, I think it is becoming a prevalent problem everywhere,” Lao told Cebu Daily News.

He said he knew about the existence of cybersex operations in homes since being assigned in the town six years ago.

“We encouraged the dialogue conducted by the local government unit a few years back,” Lao said.

A resolution was sent by the parish pastoral council to the town mayor, then mayor Arleigh Sitoy, and the Provincial Board (PB).

A former PB member Celedonio Sitoy was a member of the town’s Parish Pastoral Council.

He said nothing much happened after the dialog.

“The municipal government called for a meeting of the families in each barangay, but I don’t know what else was done after that,” Lao said.

He said he called for a meeting of the pastoral council on hearing the report about the couple who was arrested for exploiting their five children and niece in their cybersex racket in Cordova town.

“We have no concrete plans yet, but we are focusing on the control of proper use of internet, especially with parents,” he said.

Lay members also called for a school campaign to create awareness among pupils on cyber pornography.

But Lao said he was waiting for the local government to spearhead the campaign since they are willing to assist them in any way possible.

He said cybersex dens continue to proliferate since it provides easy income for its operators.

In last Wednesday’s Capitol meeting, Cebu officials and Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy called for a multi-sectoral value and education campaign in the barangay level.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said the Provincial Commission for the Welfare of Children (PCWC) will create a module for the values formation and education campaign against cyber pornography.

“The module will have language appropriate for children,” Magpale said.

Considering that the youngest among the six victims was a three-year-old girl, Magpale said the module will be taught at the lowest grade level.

The couple will be arraigned on June 22. The mother, who is pregnant, is detained at the Lapu-lapu City Jail with her husband.

A previous plan to transfer her to the Cebu Provincial Detection and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) was canceled since the city jail provided the mother with a doctor for her pre-natal medical care.

The kids are now under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) where they undergo a stress debriefing by a child care specialist.

Magpale said they are still looking for relatives who would care for the children.