‘Video of Cordova kids in porn raid not for TV’

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale yesterday expressed dismay over the airing on TV of video footage of the June 1 raid of a cybersex den involving children in Cordova town.

“The fiscal is very upset because we are going to use that (video) as evidence. We are guarding our copy with our lives,” Magpale said, referring to the prosecutor who handles cases with the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC).

ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol on Wednesday night showed blurred images of naked children with their mother in front of the computer and web camera.

The video was taken by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7, which led the raid with the PWC, but how a copy got on the air was not clear.

The airing of the video clips could expose the identities of the children, and should not have been shown, said Edna Ragudo of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7).

“That could compromise the case. They did not think of the implications of showing that clip,” she said.

She said DSWD and PWC officials will meet next week to discuss what actions to take following the incident.

Magpale said there were only three copies of the video. One was given to NBI 7 Regional Director Edward Villarta, the PWC and the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Magpale said she would meet with Villarta to revisit their “plans about secrecy” of details of the case.

The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act states that in cases when prosecution or trial is conducted behind closed doors, “it shall be unlawful” for anyone in the media “or any person utilizing trimedia facilities or information technology to cause publicity of any case of trafficking in persons.”