Trafficking, abuse raps filed against Aussie

Charges of human trafficking and child abuse were filed yesterday against 78-year-old Angelo Farina.

The Australian was arrested after a raid Wednesday night in his house in barangay Inayagan, Naga City, where he was found keeping four underaged girls.

Farina was brought to the Palace of Justice where charges were filed with the provincial prosecutor’s office. He was later returned to the Naga City jail for detention.

Farina was charged with violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

Since the girls are minors, the violation falls under “qualified trafficking,” a nonbailable offense.

The four girls, aged 14 and 15, were assisted by the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB). Their sworn statements have not yet been taken.

Lawyer Noemi Truya-Abarientos said the CLB has yet to talk with the minors on the case this Monday.

Naga city police served the search warrant about 10 p.m. Wednesday.

In the return of the warrant, police listed among the items confiscated from the house two syringes and two vials of Depotrust, an injectable contraceptive.

Police also confiscated Farina’s passport, 11 photos of Farina and the girls, and three tablets of Inoflox (Ofloxacin), an antibiotic used to cure urinary tract infection.

Also found in the house was a membership card of a motel in Cebu.

Farina refused to be interviewed, and instead shouted at reporters to ask the parents of the girls about him.

CLB lawyers are studying the possibility of filing charges against the girls’ parents for neglect.

Truya said there was an initial account of the girls that Farina had sexual relations with them whenever he pleased.

The victims are presently under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong said he would have wanted to talk to the parents of the children to convince them to file charges against Farina.

However, he said the parents aren’t interested to file charges against the Australian, who allowed their children to stay with him at his home and was paying for their schooling.

Chiong said the police filed the charges on their behalf.

Chiong said there is a rising number of foreigners who relocated in Naga City for their retirement.

Some young women fall prey to some unscrupulous foreigners.

“Our women are vulnerable because these (foreigners) are people who have money and there are some who are looking for a wife and a helper,” Chiong told Cebu Daily News.

Farina lives alone in his bungalow residence in barangay Inayagan, Naga City.

Since he is now detained, his home remained locked and unattended.

Senior Insp. Timmar Jomio Alam, Naga City police chief, said they have a strong case against Farina with the evidence found in the house showing the Australian was cohabiting with the girls.

Immigration chief Casimiro Madarang III said Farina arrived in the country in 1993 and got married to a Filipina in 2009.

He said the Australian traveled in and out of the country since 1993. Farina arrived in the country from Australia last July 15. With Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos and Correspondents Edison delos Angeles and Jhunnex Napallacan