PETA offers P.1-M reward for 'crush' video sellers

MANILA, Philippines -  The international animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) offered yesterday a P100,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of a couple allegedly behind the sale of “crush” videos over the Internet.

The offer comes in the wake of a year-long investigation by PETA and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into the activities of suspects Dorma “Chita” Ridon and her husband, Vic Ridon, PETA Asia campaigns manager Rochelle Regodon said in a press conference.

PETA, through the assistance of the NBI, earlier filed charges of child abuse, animal welfare abuse, human trafficking and violation of the country’s wildlife protection laws against the couple before the San Fernando City, La Union prosecutor’s office.

However, PETA said the couple went into hiding shortly after media and other animal rights groups broke the story about the couple’s activities.

Crush videos depict scantily clad girls crushing small animals. PETA said most of the victims of these videos are dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, snakes, frogs or other animals, as requested by the client.

In the videos, the girls are shown kicking dogs to death, piercing dogs’ eyes with their stiletto heels, attacking dogs with a hot flat iron, using shears to snip the ears off rabbits and then setting them on fire.

One video PETA showed to members of media showed a girl stepping on a puppy until blood came out of the animal’s mouth.

Regodon said the suspects allegedly sold the videos top clients from P500 to P1,000 per clip. According to PETA, the girls – aged between 12 and 18 – shown in the videos originally worked for the Ridon couple as nannies but were later enticed to perform in lewd videos for online distribution.

PETA says any information on the suspects can be relayed to their office at 0999-888-PETA (7382). The identity of informants will not be divulged, PETA said.