Prosecutor's office pushes indictment of WHO officer alleged to be pedophile

MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday recommended the indictment of an Australian doctor working for the World Health Organization who was arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Friday night in Makati City on suspicion of being a pedophile.

In his five-page partial resolution, Makati City Prosecutor Bejamin Vermug Jr. said that based on the complaint filed by the CIDG-Women and Children Protection Division, there is probable cause to indict Marcus Halton Hodge for violating RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act of 2003) and RA 7610 (Child Abuse Law). Hodge, 47, a program and development operation officer of the WHO, was arrested by CIDG officers at about 7:45 p.m. while he was allegedly about to molest a 12-year-old boy inside his silver-gray Mazda (with diplomatic plates 24324) which was parked at the second level of the Rockwell Condominium.

Case records showed that prior to the arrest, CIDG elements, acting on an informant’s tip, positioned themselves at Estrella St. At about 7 p.m., the operatives saw the boy and the pimp, identified as 21-year-old Wilson Dizon Culling, alighting from a bus from Pasay City.

According to the records, the operatives then saw Hodge’s car fetching the boy and Culling. The policemen tailed the car until it parked at the Rockwell Condominium. After the car was parked, one of the operatives approached the car and knocked on the window. 

After several minutes, the car’s door opened and police saw Hodge at the driver’s seat and the boy, who was already half-naked seated at the front passenger’s seat. Culling was seated at the back.

Recovered from Hodge’s car were two pieces of men’s briefs, a panty, a K-Y jelly lubricant and one box of unused condoms.

In his sworn affidavit, the boy alleged that he knows Culling as a pimp as they are neighbors in Pasay. The boy also alleged that he first met Hodge sometime April through Culling and a homosexual named Paloma. Hodge, according to the boy, was introduced to him as “daddy.”

The boy claimed that in that meeting, he saw Hodge and Paloma engage in oral and anal sex inside Hodge’s parked car at the Rockwell parking lot.

The boy also claims that he again met Hodge on Thursday, also at Rockwell. Inside Hodge’s parked car, the boy claimed that he and Hodge engaged in oral and anal sex. After having sex, the boy claimed that Hodge gave Culling money and that Culling later handed him P300.

Preliminary investigation

According to the boy, on the night of May 8 he was “instructed” by Culling to perform oral sex on Hodge. The boy alleged that Hodge had attempted to perform anal sex with him but was unsuccessful after seeing a security guard in the area. It was at this point that somebody had started knocking on the car’s door. Hodge then opened the window and they stepped out of the car. 

Vermug also recommended the indictment of Culling for violating RA 9208 for having appeared to have recruited the boy for the purpose of prostitution. Vermug also recommended that Culling be indicted for violating RA  7610 for influencing the boy to engage in prostitution. Hodge and Culling are both being held by the CIDG in Camp Crame.

Further, Vermug said there is a need to conduct a preliminary investigation on the boy’s allegation that he and Hodges had oral and anal sex inside his parked car on the night of May 7.

For her part, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said yesterday the full force of the law must be enforced on the case of the 12-year-old Filipino boy who was allegedly molested by a WHO official in Makati City. Cabral also said she was deeply saddened that a person who was supposed to be the protector of children’s rights was the one who abused them.

“The country has powerful laws against prostitution, sexual exploitation and abuse of children, but the law must be enforced,” Cabral said in a phone interview.

Cabral said the DSWD is providing the victim the necessary assistance, including temporary shelter and therapeutic intervention, until he is ready to be reintegrated with his family.      – With Helen Flores