(ABUSE. Councilor Jay Sangil names perpetrator of sordid tales of abuses at a city children’s center. Awaiting their turn to speak are (L-R) councilors Pogs Suller and Joseph Ponce even as a visibly affected Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting ponders on the issue. Photo by Bong Lacson)
ANGELES CITY – A can of worms was virtually uncovered by the committee on human rights of the city council here after a parent complained of alleged child abuse and sexual molestation right inside a government center that was meant to protect and rehabilitate them.
On Tuesday, the whole sangguniang panlungsod faced the media exposing alleged abuses and anomalies that were allegedly committed by personnel of the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office.
Councilor Joseph “PG” Ponce, chair of the SP committee on human rights, said he was surprised to find out that abuses were happening right in the CSWD center after getting hold of a complaint from a parent and conducting his own investigation.
Ponce said a CSWD personnel, tasked to look after the welfare of children in conflict with the law (CICL) otherwise known as street children, is the one inflicting harm on them by sexually abusing and molesting them.
“I am sorry I became emotional during the initial committee hearing because I am the chairman of the committee on human rights and I just cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
The CSWD personnel was identified as one Ferry Pangilinan who works as a “house parent” that has under his care about 20 boys at the CSWD Home for the Boys Center in Barangay Sta. Teresita here.
Councilor Jesus “Jay” Sangil said upon investigation, it was also discovered that only a measly P3,000 a week is allotted to the center housing some 20 boys despite the P8.7 million yearly budget under a program to rehabilitate CICL. “This translates to only P20 daily for each boy,” he said.
“It’s very frustrating that the perpetrators are CSWD personnel,” Sangil said. “I was informed just a few days ago that apparently the suspects are being protected by some CSWD officials,” he added as he warned of a cover up.
“This has caused demoralization among the rest of CSWD employees,” he noted.
Sangil said “during the committee hearing last week, we asked CSWD officials on the whereabouts of Pangilinan and they said they haven’t seen him for a long time now.”
But Sangil said somebody from CSWD told him that Pangilinan even reported for work last Thursday (or five days ago) by timing in.
Special
“Apparently, there is a special treatment that is being accorded to this fellow,” he noted.
Sangil said Pangilinan reports for work at 8 a.m. just to time in and then attend his classes at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) in Bacolor town.
Pangilinan then comes back just before 5 p.m. just to time out his daily time record, Sangil said.
“He even collects overtime pay,” an obviously infuriated Sangil said.
Councilor Alfie Bonifacio said when he asked CSWD officer-in-charge Edna Duaso during a committee hearing last week on the action taken by her office, she answered that she transferred Pangilinan to the head office at the city hall.
Bonifacio said Duaso should have followed protocol and informed the Human Resources Management Office as well as the grievance committee on Pangilinan’s case.
He added that Pangilinan should also have been preventively suspended since a case has already been filed against him at the Prosecutor’s Office last August 30.
According to the testimonies of social workers and other boys, it was revealed that Pangilinan also abused other children.
Two others were also ready to file formal complaints against Pangilinan but have been released from the center.
It was also stated that Pangilinan “sleeps with two or three children in his bed where he performs oral sex with them, takes his bath with two boys, and massage him.”
At the very least, some degree of disciplinary action should have been meted to Pangilinan, Bonifacio said.
“We would like the public to know that when you are in government hands, you are safe and we will be looking for the welfare of every child and women of the city,” Bonifacio assured.
Meanwhile, Ponce said cases of human trafficking and child abuse cases (violation of RA 7610) are being readied against the suspect.
