Subdivision house under surveillance: Online sex with minors exists in city

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said that cyberpornography involving minors now exists in Cebu City.

"(Cyberpornography) is now rampant but it's unfair to say it's only in Cordova. Sa Cebu City sad naa," said Magpale, who spearheads the campaign against cyberpornograhy in the province.

Magpale said they are doing surveillance operations on a house in a Cebu City subdivision where young girls are seen going inside and staying for hours.

"Duna mi gi-surveillance, I don't know mao pa gihapon ni. But the same observation: naay mga dalaga, batan-on manud 'nya magdugay," she said.

But Magpale admitted that they are having difficulty in their operations since Cebu City is not under their territorial jurisdiction.

"Naglisud mi pagsud kay city man so we have to determine at least one victim is from the province. We found one. So we can take position of the case," she said.

She said girls-usually high school students-would come to the house after school and stay there for several hours.

The setup, she said, is similar to the cybersex operations in the province.

Magpale said since the venue of the operation is no longer in a small shanty like in Cordova but in a gated residence inside a subdivision, they would have to seek help from the neighbors.

The vice governor explained that this kind of operation usually uses a small-time call center business as a front in which girls, who would pretend to work as call center agents, perform lewd tasks for foreigners online.

She said the operation is also similar to those in private homes where a client would pay in advance, through a money courier, to a girl to perform.

Normally, the price per session is $25 or more depending on the agreement and once the deal is sealed, the online sex starts, she said.

"Sa cyberporn, naa na silay contact. Ilang website known na sa would-be clients. Client would ask for a child or someone with a specific age. Mosud na gani ang kwarta sa money transfer, right away inig kuha sugod na ang show," she said.

Magpale, however, said these money couriers are now "very cooperative," informing them of any person who receives more than one cash transfers a day.

Earlier, she admitted that although there are arrests being made, the slow prosecution of cases filed against the suspects is another problem.

  Open for coordination

Cebu City's Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) head, Ester Concha, said they have not monitored any cyberpornography in the city.

But Concha said they are open for coordination with the Capitol if the illegal activity now existed in the city.

She encouraged anyone to report to their office any cyberporn activities or cybersex den operations in the city.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, who proposed a resolution against cyberpornography, believes that cyberporn exists in the city.

"If nahitabo na sa Cordova, dako ang posibilidad na naa sad na sa Cebu City," said Dizon.

Dizon's resolution, which was recently approved by the City Council, pushes for barangay officials and tanods to undergo training and workshops against cyberporn.

He said the council is taking proactive measures to curb this illegal activity.

According to a Philippine National Police report, cyberpornography is now deemed as the country's number one crime.

The PNP report further disclosed that Cebu one of the top transmittal sites for online pornography in the country.

Several anti-cyberporn raids have been conducted in the past mostly by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Last week, at least 13 people were rescued in an operation carried out by the Anti-Cybercrime Group-7 against an alleged cybersex den operating as call center in Barangay Guadalupe./LPM  (FREEMAN)