Police to meet resort owners

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Noel Gillamac is meeting Cebu resort owners to help authorities in fighting women and children exploitation.

This, as American national Lawrence Pendarvis, who was accused of drugging and illegally detaining two women in his apartment so he could abuse them, has no derogatory records with the Bureau of Immigration-Cebu.

BI-Cebu Alien Control Officer Casimiro Madarang III said that based on their records, Pendarvis arrived in Cebu on August 13, 2013 and extended his visa three times.

His last visa extension, Madarang said, was issued on February 28, 2014 and would expire on April 28, 2014

The 71-year-old foreign was earlier reported to having no passport with him at the time of his arrest.

“Imposible nga mosulod ang  foreigner diri sa atoa nga wala’y passport kay kinahanglan gyud na sa (It is impossible for any foreigner to enter the country without a passport, because it is very needed in the) primary inspection. Gawas lang og mag (Unless he entered the country through the) “back door” siya,” said.

At the CPPO, Gillamac said foreigners who would likely be involved in illegal activities usually stay in resorts, which is why owners would play a crucial role in preventing the abuse and exploitation of women and children.

He warned that if resort owners are found to have tolerated the illegal activities of their foreign guests, criminal complaints would be leveled against them.

The police are now coordinating with the families of two women, ages 52 and 28, who were rescued from retired chemist Pendarvis, who allegedly drugged and abused both victims at a resort in Barangay Pooc, Talisay City Sunday.

Superintendent Reycel Carmelo Dayon, Talisay City Police Station chief, submitted to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 yesterday for examination the medicines they recovered from the cottage of Pendarvis.

The police would also submit all pieces of external computer hardware they recovered to the Anti-Cybercrime Group-7 to extract information for evidentiary purposes.

The two women victims, on the other hand, were taken to the Pink Room of  the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City for medical examination.

In particular, the 28-year-old woman’s left ear needed stitching due to a cut after reportedly being bitten by Pendarvis.

The two women alleged that the foreigner drugged and abused them several times for the past few months.  They said that Pendarvis, then took photos and videos of them having sex as amateur pornographic films.

Dayon said Pendarvis arrived in Cebu on August 2013 as tourist, but the American reportedly bribed the BI to allow him to extend his stay in the country.

Pendarvis, the police officer said, had also lived in Cebu City where he allegedly hired women and recorded them having sex with him.

The 52-year-old victim assured the police that she would pursue charges against Pendarvis, while the 28-year-old woman merely said she planned to ask for a P10,000 refund, so she could go back home to Surigao del Norte already.

She earlier said Pendarvis borrowed her P17,000 savings and has so far managed to repay only P2,000.

Yesterday, the police filed a criminal complaint for serious illegal detention against Pendarvis before the Office of the Prosecutor in Talisay City.

“We only filed today (yesterday) a serious illegal detention (complaint). The other complaints are set to follow because we have to wait for the medico-legal (report) and other evidences,” Dayon said.

For his part, Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes encouraged the public to be vigilant and inform the police if they come across a similar case, adding that he is willing to give tipsters cash rewards. — With reports from Banat News/RHM (FREEMAN)