British faces child abuse case for keeping minor GF

CEBU, Philippines — A 45-year-old British national is facing a child abuse case for having in his company a 17-year-old girl while at the Cebu South Bus Terminal on their way to Moalboal on Feb. 26, 2018.

Prosecutor II Fatima Hasjali-Maadil held Christopher Norris alias Chris, a resident of 7 Barns Road, Oxford Shire, for trial after finding probable cause for violation of RA 7610 or the law on the special protection of children against abuse, exploitation and discrimination.

In her affidavit, Aitie Insong of Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) alleged that while she was manning the help desk of IACAT near Door 10 inside the South Bus Terminal, she saw a girl who was about to board a bus bound for Moalboal together with a foreigner.

Insong approached both the girl and the foreigner and introduced herself as an officer of IACAT.

She asked the girl of her age and she replied she is 19.

Believing that the girl is a minor, Insong asked Police Officer 1 Myco Baclayon for assistance.

Insong said the girl admitted during an interview that she is 17 years old from Biliran, Leyte.

Upon admission of the girl that she is still 17, they placed Norris under arrest.

Norris was detained at the Carbon Police Station.

In her sworn statement, the minor admitted that she knew Norris through a dating website sometime in December 2017 and they were in a relationship since January 2018.

She alleged that Norris knew she is a minor because she told him.

Her father and stepmother knew about her relationship with Norris and they approved it.

The minor said Norris is good to her and promised her parents that he will marry her once she reached the age of 18.

The Carbon police filed child abuse and human trafficking complaints against Norris before the City Prosecutors Office.

Maadil, however, dismissed the human trafficking complaint citing there was no circumstance that will show that the elements of human trafficking, specifically, the exploitative purpose, were not  present in case.

However, he recommended the filing of child abuse case which was approved by City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas.

Maadil recommended P120,000 bail for Norris’ temporary liberty.

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old Canadian national died while having a diving session in the seawater off Gato Island in Barangay Carnasa, Daanbantayan at noon on Saturday.

The police identified the victim as Jimmy Gen Keung Wong, a native of Vancouver, Canada.

Police Officer 1 Louie Misa of Daanbantayan Police said that the victim was with other foreign nationals and three dive masters when they went to the island at around 9:30 a.m.

Wong's dive guide, Wilmar Ypsor, told the police that after 50 minutes of diving, he saw the victim with two other foreigners surfaced from the water.

Ypsor dove back for the two other divers and then they returned to their boat.  Misa said that when they were already on the boat, Ypsor could not find Wong.  Ypsor immediately dove back to the sea to look for Wong and later found the victim already unresponsive.

Wong was immediately brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. (FREEMAN)