It is obviously illegal to sexually abuse children in the Philippines, but it is very hard to bring wrongdoers to justice. NGOs like PREDA fight for the rights of abused children. However, they cannot rely solely on the government, in which corruption is abundant. Most of the time, public prosecutors are in favor of the accused merchants of commercial sex and ignore the rights of trafficked, raped and abused children. Bribes from traffickers, politicians or sex offenders make sure things stay that way(Cullen, 2011). Sometimes, prosecutors simply ignore registered complaints that must be processed within 90 days, according to our law.
According to what I have watched in the news, prosecutors in Olongapo City dismissed trafficking-of-persons charges against two US citizens, who had held two girls captive as sex partners for four years since they were ten years old. One of them now is pregnant. The prosecutors also failed to press charges of child sexual abuse. The suspects, unfortunately, were set free.
The illegal sex industry is at the center of this corrupt mind set. Its simple message is that anything can be bought – even the body of minor. The sad truth is that sex tourism, even in its most criminal form, enjoys political protection because it brings in foreign currency and generates revenues for local leaders, which allegedly, some of whom invest in the business themselves.Theres gossip about a mayor who promoted his city as a sex resort and was even chosen to become the country’s secretary of tourism.
What saddens me is that I know that it is harmful for a country to be considered a destination for sex tourists and I cannot think of a way to completely eliminate it. As Cullen(2011) has said: foreign travellers who are pursuing other, more legitimate motives like nature or cultural heritage, for instance, will be likely to shy from places tarnished by such a reputation, fearing for their own reputation.
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