Trader, 71, nabbed for child abuse in Makati condo

Police rescued a Grade 9 student from a 71-year-old businessman who allegedly lured underaged girls with fancy dinners and branded clothes in exchange for sex inside his condominium unit.

Makati City policemen, social workers and the victim’s mother caught Elias Cosme with the 15-year-old girl at his condo unit in Barangay Bel-Air around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Senior Insp. Roman Salazar, the Makati police intelligence unit chief, said security guards of the building stalled them for 30 minutes before they reached Cosme’s unit on the 36th floor.

Salazar said that after getting the girls’ trust, Cosme would perform his sexual acts on them. He would take baths with the girls and took nude pictures of them, the official added.

Senior Supt. Gerardo Umayao, Makati police chief, said Cosme paid the girls P1,000. The pimp, a 15-year-old schoolmate of the girls and who was also abused, was paid P500.

Umayao said at least 10 minors from Makati submitted statements claiming that Cosme had victimized them.

Salazar said Cosme had been under surveillance for two months after a number of minors, accompanied by their parents, went to their office complaining that their nude photographs were posted online, causing them to be “cyberbullied.”

According to his Facebook account, Cosme is president of Spot Realty Enterprises. He also listed himself as the former chief executive officer of DevCon Philippines, a nonprofit organization which “aims to
empower Filipino developers and promote IT Pinoy talent.”

Cosme remained in detention at press time in the Makati police station to face charges for rape and violation of Republic Act No. 7610 or the anti-child abuse law.