Slavery=Corruption

The significance of child abuse in the illegal sex industry cannot be overestimated. It is important to understand that the lines separating adult and child prostitution are not very clear. Many adult prostitutes were forced into the business at early ages, and when a young woman is held as a slave, it somehow does not matter anymore whether she is over 21 or below 18. The victims’ ultimate human rights to freedom and self-determination are already constantly being violated.

Once a person has been tainted by prostitution, that person’s chances of rejoining society, starting a family and living a normal life become very low. Also, In the Philippines, even teenage prostitutes who get pregnant are forced to have abortions in illegal clinics that can even harm them even more since the procedures are not proper. Clinics like that are usually using primitive, barbaric ways to abort the fetus. There is even a possibility that one might die because of too much bleeding after an illegal abortion. Often the women try to hide pregnancies – with the result of later having to undergo late-stage abortions, a particularly horrific crime. Contrary to what the sex industry claims, sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS are common.

It is well-understood that girls, or even boys, suffer psychological damage in the sex industry. Many are brain-washed to believe that the club is their new home or their new family that will take care of them, where they will one day meet a foreigner to marry and join for a happy life abroad. It is all an empty fantasy, of course, but the children believe it and look out for their prospective rich future life partners. It is very difficult for these people to build up self-esteem. They face a lot of hostility and violence and have no trust in adults. Their life experience is one of abuse, rejection and hardship.

Our country must be judged on how we treat our youth and children. Hotels and clubs should not be able to operate without a mayor’s permit and license and the local authorities must assume responsibility. It is a disgrace that the our authorities lack the political will or some prosecutors have no moral courage to implement the law in the Philippines.