Vice gov is first witness

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale is scheduled to take the witness stand in today’s presentation of evidence related to the June 1 Cordova cyber pornography case.

Magpale, in an interview, said she will tell the court how the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC)  got involved in the case involving parents who made five children and a niece perform nude in front of a web camera in exchange for cash.

“If the children will be called (to testify), they will be chambered here,” Magpale said.

She was referring to a holding room set up in the legislative building near the vice governor’s office.

Forensic experts who checked the evidence will also testify before Judge Toribio Quiwag at the Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City at 2 p.m. today.

Magpale said the children are better nourished than when they were rescued.

“The niece has new clothes. I told her, ‘You know what? You look very fashionable,’” Magpale said.

The girl said they are very happy where they are now and asked if she could have a younger sibling brought over, the vice governor said.

Another victim, a  3-year-old girl, was looking for her parents but is now content in the care of her  eldest brother.

“Yes, they long for their parents but what kind of parents are they? I wish I could show you their faces and you will see why we won’t return them to their parents,” Magpale said.

The six children are being schooled using an  Alternative Learning System.

Magpale said they will soon be transferred to a new center and enrolled in a regular school.

PWC is shouldering all  the expenses of the six kids.

Meanwhile, the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB)  will not file charges against the parents of four children who were allegedly abused by an Australian national in Naga City.

The parents in an interview said they  didn’t know their children were sexually abused, said  CLB lawyer Jo-ann Suarez Pabriaga.

“All they know is that their daughters are working students who live with the Australian,” Pabriaga told Cebu Daily News.

One of the four children rescued last Wednesday complained to the CLB last  April and they filed abuse case against 78-year-old Angelo Farina.

However, the girl’s parents, who  met with CLB yesterday, said they signed an affidavit of desistance and received P20,000 to withdraw their complaint.

Pabriaga said the other parents assured them they would support the filing of cases against the Australian national.

She said  the parents can help  the children  open up about the incident.

“We are pleased that the parents did not desist. Their children need them as guidance for the case,” she said.

Three children told them that they were not sexually abused, said social worker Edna Regudo of the Department of Social welfare and Development in Central Visayas.

“Only one child admitted that she was sexually abused,” Regudo said in an interview.

She said two of the  children still have to undergo medical examination and trauma assessment at the Pink Room of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. /Candeze R. Mongaya and Carmel Loise Matus