During the
first half of this year, Cebu has been daunted with a lot of cases on child
cyber sex pornography – the act of forcing children to be photographed naked or
asked to take off their clothes in front of the camera where the material will
be circulated online.
 |
| CLB Staff campaigning on Child Abuse |
The Children’s Legal Bureau
(CLB), a non-stock, non-government organization has been always in action
towards giving legal assistance to children eighteen years old and below who
are victims of such cases and many others that defy children’s rights. For the
past years that CLB has been active in its advocacy of putting a stop to cyber
sex pornography, they have encountered a lot of challenges on the way.
 |
| Laban Bata Paralegal Training |
CLB has two programs laid out
for the different cases against children’s rights which include anti cyber sex
pornography in it. The Children’s Rights Protection Unit (CRPU) and Laban Bata
have been working hand in hand in empowering and providing legal assistance.
However, the good intention of CLB to help young children out of their misery is
sometimes returned with a result which they never anticipated.
According to Lawyer Joan
Saniel, executive director of the organization, there are cases of cyber child
pornography where the parents are the one who force their children to go with
foreigners so they will be potential sources of the pornography business. “They
(children) don’t do anything about it because they are scared of their own
parents, or they think it is just a way of life,” she added.
Lawyer Noemi Abarientos
narrated, “As soon as they (children) are rescued from this (cyber sex
pornography), they escape out of the children’s room or the pink room just to
go back to their lifestyle.” “Some even
do not want to be rescued by our organization. Parents are very hard on this
because they claim to have custody on their children yet they don’t realize
they are wrong,” added Saniel.
When this happens, the
organization cannot anymore coerce citizens to stop such acts. “Wala na gyud mi mabuhat ana (We cannot
do anything about it). Besides, dili namo sila ma blame kay (we cannot
blame them because) these foreigners provide for them not only with a huge
amount of money but with groceries and expensive clothes,” explained
Abarientos.
The organization though has
tried suing the parents of the children.
But to no avail they still do the same with an explanation that this can
only do no good and cannot provide for their day to day needs. Even training
and seminars cannot get through their heads; information dissemination can only
do so much.
“The ultimate solution is to
resolve the issue of poverty,” says Abarientos. “If jobs are available for
these parents to earn decent wages, it will help alleviate the problem of sex
tourism and cyber sex pornography,” she added. True enough the parents where
areas of sex tourism and cyber sex pornography are prevalent do not have decent
jobs nor have jobs at all. These areas include Cordova, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay.
 |
| CLB Workers |
Despite these challenges, CLB is
glad to help victims and families. “We still conduct trainings and seminars,”
says Yowee Gonzales, CLB’s Sustainability coordinator. CLB gives discussion
whenever they are invited to speak by the government or private entities. So
far there are have been good results with the Anti Sex Tourism project of this
organization. “Even if all cases have not yet been given a decision by the
court, we are on the winning side are such foreigners have no fight against
us,” says Saniel who represents the children in court.
There are also some parents who
are reformed after much discussion with the organization and social workers.
“They realize their shortcomings and would like to change despite the poverty
they are facing,” Abarientos gladly reports.
The challenge to put this issue
to a stop relies on so many factors. CLB and the government working hand in
hand plus the citizen’s initiative can save these children giving them a
brighter future.
**Published in the Sun.Star Cebu paper on October 17, 2011
