Mayor dangles P20T to cyberporn informants

CEBU, Philippines — Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho plans to give P20,000 cash reward to people who can give information about  persons involved in cyber pornography or child trafficking in the town.

The reward plan will be tackled by the municipal council soon.

“If the council approves it, we plan to give P20, 000 and above to those who can give information about any cybercrime activities in the town,” Cho said.

She added they will categorize the information they receive and depending on the magnitude of the case, they may increase the cash reward.

 Last Tuesday, Cordova Police Station and Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) - Visayas Field Unit arrested one Meliza Moralde Oga-ob, 38, for allegedly engaging seven minors, including her two-year-old daughter, in an online pornography through her cellphone in Sitio Tumoy, Barangay Ibabao, Cordova.

WCPC and Cordova Police Station coordinated with the International Justice Mission (IJM) to conduct the entrapment operation against the suspect.

Three female teenagers, including one minor, and four young males were the suspect’s victims aside from her two-year-old daughter.

Police also confiscated cellphones from Oga-ob, who works as a seamstress, according to WCPC Chief Romeo Perigo.

The victims were brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) while the suspect is detained in Cordova Police Station.

Oga-ob will face complaints for violating Republic Act (RA) 10364 or Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Mayor Cho said the municipal government will also provide assistance to the victims.

“We will give after care assistance to the children and stress debriefing,” Cho said.

Cho warned those who want to engage in cyber pornography to leave Cordova because they are very serious in the fight against illegal activities. (FREEMAN)