ANGELES CITY- What to make of adult tourists, often Caucasian of retired age, towing along an unchaperoned, poorly clad Filipino girl or boy obviously under 12 years of age, in malls or other public places here?
While the city social welfare office here said cases of pedophilia in this city are negligible, its chief, Heidi Patio, has called on the help of barangay officials to monitor such situations and even question both foreigner and child.
This, amid increasing sightings of adult foreigners treating unaccompanied Filipino children to foods and toys at local malls and other public places. The foreigner could be jailed or fined P50,000 as provided by law, Patio noted.
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, a lawyer, said he fully backed Patio’s move, as he cited Republic Act No. 7610 titled “An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and for Other Purposes.”
“It’s a very strict law that covers situations in which adults who are in the company of children who are not their relatives could be held by law enforcers,” he said.
Patio cited R.A. 7610 as providing that “any person who shall keep or have in his company a minor, twelve years or under or who is ten years or more his junior in any public or private place, hotel, motel, beer joint, discotheque, cabaret, pension house, sauna or massage parlor, beach and, or other tourist resort or similar places shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period and a fine of not less than P50,000.”
She noted, however, that the law provides exemption in cases wherein the adult “is related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity or any bond recognized by law, local custom and tradition or acts in the performance of a social, moral or legal duty.”
“We’d be grateful for the kindness of foreigners to our poor children, but we want to be careful and assure that there is no exploitation of any kind of the children, and this is paramount,” Patio said, as she noted increasing cases of pedophilia not only in the country, but worldwide.
She admitted some difficulty in dealing with such situations in public places, noting that law violation would be clearer in case such adults are found with minors in more questionable places such as a motel where arrests could readily be made.
Patio said foreigners in such situations would not be subject to questioning by barangay officials. She lamented that her office could not perform such task as she has only 17 personnel at her office, even as her office also covers teachers in 73 local day care centers.
She noted, though, that no sexual abuse has been reported so far among some 200 underaged night-time street scavengers in this city, as well as among an undetermined number of children selling sampaguitas and other items at beerhouses and other such establishments.
Patio noted that the Dona Consuelo Zobel Foundation has continued to support in this with the Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network which, in 2002, was piloted not only here, but also in the City of San Fernando and Guagua in Pampanga.
The foundation provides help for abused children, as well as those with criminal record. The foundation is establishing a special room for such children at a local hospital which could also serve as a venue for both their physical and psychological treatment, Patio added.
While the city social welfare office here said cases of pedophilia in this city are negligible, its chief, Heidi Patio, has called on the help of barangay officials to monitor such situations and even question both foreigner and child.
This, amid increasing sightings of adult foreigners treating unaccompanied Filipino children to foods and toys at local malls and other public places. The foreigner could be jailed or fined P50,000 as provided by law, Patio noted.
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, a lawyer, said he fully backed Patio’s move, as he cited Republic Act No. 7610 titled “An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, and for Other Purposes.”
“It’s a very strict law that covers situations in which adults who are in the company of children who are not their relatives could be held by law enforcers,” he said.
Patio cited R.A. 7610 as providing that “any person who shall keep or have in his company a minor, twelve years or under or who is ten years or more his junior in any public or private place, hotel, motel, beer joint, discotheque, cabaret, pension house, sauna or massage parlor, beach and, or other tourist resort or similar places shall suffer the penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period and a fine of not less than P50,000.”
She noted, however, that the law provides exemption in cases wherein the adult “is related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity or any bond recognized by law, local custom and tradition or acts in the performance of a social, moral or legal duty.”
“We’d be grateful for the kindness of foreigners to our poor children, but we want to be careful and assure that there is no exploitation of any kind of the children, and this is paramount,” Patio said, as she noted increasing cases of pedophilia not only in the country, but worldwide.
She admitted some difficulty in dealing with such situations in public places, noting that law violation would be clearer in case such adults are found with minors in more questionable places such as a motel where arrests could readily be made.
Patio said foreigners in such situations would not be subject to questioning by barangay officials. She lamented that her office could not perform such task as she has only 17 personnel at her office, even as her office also covers teachers in 73 local day care centers.
She noted, though, that no sexual abuse has been reported so far among some 200 underaged night-time street scavengers in this city, as well as among an undetermined number of children selling sampaguitas and other items at beerhouses and other such establishments.
Patio noted that the Dona Consuelo Zobel Foundation has continued to support in this with the Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network which, in 2002, was piloted not only here, but also in the City of San Fernando and Guagua in Pampanga.
The foundation provides help for abused children, as well as those with criminal record. The foundation is establishing a special room for such children at a local hospital which could also serve as a venue for both their physical and psychological treatment, Patio added.
