Police insist trafficking in Cebu ‘not alarming’

Despite being identified as one of the top areas for trafficking of children in the country, prostitution is not a serious concern in Cebu, the police insisted yesterday.

In a slide presentation to local media Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Cebu provincial police chief, the impression of Cebu as a sex tourism site is created by reports of home-based cyber pornography dens in areas like Cordova town.

“While the issue remains a grave concern and despite shocking revelations on the existence of home-based cybersex operations in Cebu, it is not alarming,” Comendador said.

Chief Supt. Ager Poblador, former Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, said reports of cyber-sex dens operating in Cebu meant “that the communities in those areas are being active in reporting on suspicious activities in their areas.”

According to a report by the Consortium Against Trafficking of Children and Women in Commercial Sexual Exploitation (Catch-Wise), the Philippines ranks fourth in the most number of prostituted children in Asia.

Aside from Cebu, other areas where child prostitution and sex tourism are rampant were Metro Manila, Angeles City, Puerto Galera in Mindoro province and Davao.

The children came from the provinces of Samar, Bohol. Leyte, Negros and Bacolod, as stated in Catch-Wise report.

Comendador identified Cordova, Consolacion and Talisay as possible hot spots of cyber-sex operations in Cebu.

However, 21 cases were recorded in 11 provinces in Central Visayas since December 2008.

Other towns with reported cyber-pornography cases were Alegria, Pinamungahan, Dumanjug, Balamban, Daanbantayan.

“The positive side is that it raises public awareness that such acts are criminal,” Comendador said.

Cyber-sex and cyber-pornography involves the display of explicit photos of women and children engaged in sexual acts or live online performances of women and children of sexual acts in exchange for a fee usually paid through credit cards.