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The Vision Of Corruption
First Published: Reflections - Philippine Daily Inquirer Publication Date: 16th June 1994 Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC The raid by the NBI on a night club in Caloocan City earlier this week and the discovery of 43 young girls in prostitution, many of them children, is just the latest example of how widespread the practice is in the Philippines and how the police and other authorities give it such low priority among their concerns. The club had been raided before but was soon open and thriving again. A black mark of the Police of Caloocan City? The tough strictures of the R.A 7610 that are framed to prevent and punish those who prostitute children or allow it to happen gives corrupt police a bigger stick to beat bribes out of pimps, paedophile and club operators. Clubs can continue to operate despite gross violations of the law when the publicity dies down and the owners pay protection money. Some have the protection of powerful and influential clientele who have a personal interest in keeping their own visits to such dens of child prostitution secret. At the Vision Club at the International Food Complex in Pasay City, according to very reliable sources who talked to Reflections recently, has beside regular women in prostitution, a number of 14 and 15 year olds who are child prostitutes and are sexually abused by Japanese, Germans and other foreigners. The Vision Club is managed (if not owned) by an Australian and a Canadian and allegedly they raped two of the children a few months ago. One victim is only 14 the other 16. The older child got a sexually transmitted disease from the Australian. A regular Japanese customer specializes in making child pornography. Several months ago the Vision was raided by the Police but allegedly there was the customary pay off and the club continued to operate. However the costume of the young dancers changed from Bikini to yellow swimsuit with Visions emblazoned on the front with numbers attached so the customers can just call the number and the minor is delivered. A Manila newspaper (not The inquirer) reported last 23 March 1994 that a 17 year old was the victim of attempted rape by a Japanese tourist in Puerto Galera. The suspect Katsuyoki Sato, 43, allegedly paid the manager of the Vision club 30,000 pesos who gave her to the Japanese. A well known citizen, Boy Magnac who is a reliable source and upright is well experienced in child sex abuse and security matters . He is reporting to the police about the problems at the Vision Club. God help him, may he get a just reward. I hope he tells the NBI about the whole operation of child sex slavery at the Vision and that they close it down. The other clubs that are allegedly using child prostitutes are the Firehouse and My Feel Club among others all previously raided by the NBI. As many as 304 young women were found being prostituted many of them minors. Senator Gloria Macapagal offered them scholarships in computer school. This week too an International Conference on Child prostitution was held in Thailand and the awful reality and extend of this evil was bared once again. The Thai government has begun to face up this social too late. The government said in a statement that it would do all it could to stop child prostitution in Thailand and adult prostitution could be addressed later. With the rapid spread of the HIV virus that leads to AIDS, much of it through commercial sex industry, they would be wise to move a lot faster to save their people, their children and their beautiful country from a health catastrophe. As many as 800,000 children are in prostitution there, many of them bought out of remote villages and resold to brothels in Bangkok and other resorts that have a thriving commercial sex trade. There are an estimated 40,000 children in prostitution in the Philippines and the number could be much higher. Authorities in the Philippines would do well to learn a lesson from tragedy on-going in Thailand. Child sex became a big tourist attraction in the Philippines during the Marcos regime. Olongapo and Angeles with the encouragement and support of their "brothel mayors" encouraged and protected the illegal trade. Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines, in case you didn't know. Feeding off the demand of the U.S. servicemen many clubs had child prostitutes and the streets had their share too. Since the closure of the bases the sex industry collapsed. Recently with the influx of foreigner investors to Angeles and Olongapo new bars are opening almost every week and the evil of child prostitution is coming back. Mayor Cynthia Cajudo of Olongapo who took over from mayor Richard Gordon, now Chairman of the Subic Free Port would be well to address this problem before it grows to its former monstrosity and destroys the new chance for decency and dignity that could come to Olongapo.
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