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Tuesday, July 15, 2003
CSWD on lookout for child prostitutes in city
By May Anne Cacdac
ASSISTANT City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWD) Rosario Martin said that they are coordinating with the different line agencies and the city government to be able to address problems regarding child abuse cases in the city.
This developed following reports of the "alarming" rise in child prostitution in Ifugao, which prompted the Provincial Task Force Against Gender Violence to map out measures to arrest the problem.
"We have cases of child prostitution in the city but it is not as bad (as in Ifugao). However, we are always in the lookout for such cases," Martin said.
She added that their agency, together with the Philippine National Police, the Department of Labor and Employment, through its Sagip Batang Manggagawa program, conduct interim on-the-spot inspections in the different night spots in the city to be able to pinpoint minor prostitutes. "Mabibilang lang sa daliri ang cases natin ng child prostitution."
Martin added that most of the child prostitutes who are being apprehended in the city come from Visayas. "They are brought here either by their relatives or friends. They come here with the knowledge that they will be given a decent job only to end up in the flesh trade."
These minors, age 14 to 17, are usually turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the proper handling of their cases. "They are eventually sent home."
However, Martin said that there are times that these minors refuse to admit that they are such. "Dito kami minsan nagkakaproblema, yung mismong minor ayaw aminin ang edad niya." She said these cases are usually put under close monitor.
Meanwhile, Martin also said "there are really no street children in the city. What we have here are the street urban working children. Not those palaboy lang talaga."
She cited that the children in the city market who sell plastic bags couldn't be considered street children since they are usually the children of the market vendors. "Their parents are the ones who usually watch over them. But still the child abuse units of our office, the police and the DoLE are always on the look out for possible child abuse practices."
(July 15, 2003 issue)
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