Pa charged for taking video of daughter in bathroom

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a 47-year-old man for allegedly exploiting his 17-year-old daughter by recording a video using his cellular phone while the girl was taking a bath.

 The father, a resident of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, whose name is withheld by The FREEMAN to protect the identity of the minor complainant, is facing charges of child abuse in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

 “The investigating prosecutor finds probable cause to indict respondent for violation of Section 10 (a) of RA 7610. Respondent’s act of recording a video of his own daughter while taking a bath is indeed degrading and demeaning to the child’s dignity,” read the resolution of Prosecutor II Misty Leah Escolar-Hupp.

 “The fact that the perpetrator is the child’s own father casts no doubt to the fact that the abuse is indeed prejudicial to the development of complainant as a child,” Hupp added.

 In her sworn statement, the daughter alleged that while she was taking a bath on September 15, 2017 at about 6 a.m. inside their bathroom, she noticed a cellphone.

 She peeped outside if there was someone and she allegedly saw her father. She quietly reached for the cellphone which was placed on the upper part of the bathroom and learned that it belongs to her father.

 Complainant noticed the phone’s video was turned on. She played it and was shocked that it was her who was captured on the video.

 She deleted the video, turned the cellphone off, and wrapped with a piece of clothing, before she hurriedly went to her room to change.

 Her father later asked if she saw his cellphone. She felt terrified.

The complainant’s mother corroborated the statement of her daughter that she was allegedly abused by the accused.

 Hupp issued a subpoena to the accused dated November 10, 2017 for him to answer the allegations filed against him but he failed. Thus, Hupp elevated the case to the court after finding probable cause, which was approved by City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas.

 Hupp recommended P80,000 bail for the father‘s temporary liberty.

Cyberpornography

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale expressed that the fight against cyberpornography must also include the reformation of the culprit, after a mother from Cordova town was sentenced 20 years of imprisonment for trafficking her children to online pedophiles.

"Kanang 20 years, kinahanglan na siya mismong parent og psychological para ma-rehab. Ubanan na og assistance of a psychologists," she said.

The children of the 32-year-old mother are now under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Sakit kaayo na namo nga niana ang usa ka bata sa iyang last statement nga I hope the government will also forgive my parents. Nag-plea bargain sab unta na iyang parents but wala pa mi nakadecide. Duda man gud mi nga mousab ba. Nya, maayo na kaayo ang mga bata karon," Magpale continued.

The Office of the Vice Governor through the Provincial Women's Commission and its partners like International Justice Mission(IJM) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been active in making operations to rescue exploited children.

 Since the start of this year, IJM has recorded at least 14 individuals who were convicted in the Philippines due to their illegal operations involving women and children.

In earlier reports, Cordova town has been dubbed as a hotspot for cyberpornography while Cebu is one of the recurring names in terms of places where cyberporn activities are reported.

The vice governor clarified that this does not mean that cyberporn only exists in the province.

"Di man ko motuo nga Cebu ra. I'm sure it's also happening in other provinces. But dinhi, dili mi magtago-tago," Magpale said. — MBG (FREEMAN)