Saving Today's Children

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