NBI arrests mother, aunt for sexually exploiting young girl

National Bureau of Investigation agents arrested a woman for sexually exploiting her young daughter, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Thursday.

According to a 24 Oras report by John Consulta on Thursday, the victim’s mother and aunt were nabbed for sexually exploiting the child through an online application.

“This is a case na ‘yung nanay ay binebenta ‘yung picture ng kanyang anak sa foreigner (the mother was selling photographs of her child to foreigners), ranging from P25,000… and this started when the child was still five years old,” Santiago said in a press conference.

“Ngayon ang child ay 11 years old (now the child is 11 years old),” he added.

According to the NBI-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-HTRAD), authorities caught suspects “YNA” and “SAM”, the girl's mother and aunt, offering the victim for sexual exploitation during an entrapment and rescue operation on June 25, Tuesday.

The NBI said the victim was transported from Navotas to a hotel in Quezon City to perform live sex shows for foreigners.

The suspect said that she was assured that there was a “no touch” policy and that she only did the crime due to poverty.

“Wala raw gagawing kahit ano, walang touching. Malaking pera din kasi ang sinabi. Inisip ko rin po magkakaroon ng school, kailangan ng budget, palipat pa kami. Yun ang naisip ko na best way para makakuha ng pera,” said the suspect and victim’s mother.

(They wouldn’t do anything, no touching. They said it would be a big amount. I thought that there would be school soon, budget was needed and we were moving. That was the best way to get money that I could think of)

“Ang sinasabi po nung bata, pati ‘yung mga suspects is kahirapan po. Kahirapan po. At marami daw pong utang yung mother kaya ginagawa ito. Parang ginagawa nilang hanapbuhay,” HTRAD chief Atty. Olga Gonzales said.

(The child and the suspects said that they did this because of poverty. Poverty. And the mother has many debts. So they made this their livelihood.)

Santiago, however, said that poverty is not a justification of such crimes.

“Alam niyo hindi justification yung kahirapan. Napaka masama ito sa ating mga kabataan,” he said.

(Poverty does not justify this. This is unacceptable for our children.)

“Maaaring no touch o hindi ginagalaw ang mga bata, pero yung trauma na nae-experience ng bata ay napakagrabe. Kaya hindi ito ordinaryong online abuse lang kundi Qualified, dahil nanay niya mismo. No bail is recommended,” he added.

(Perhaps it was ‘no touch’ or no assault was done to the child, but the trauma the child experiences is severe. That is why this is not an ordinary case of online abuse but Qualified, because her own mother did this. No bail is recommended)

Gonzales said the operation stemmed from a case referral from a non-government organization that Telegram users “AYVAH” and “YNA” were selling live and recorded sexual videos to foreigners for P25,000 (US$425).

“As soon as matanggap namin ‘yung referral na yun ay nag conduct kami ng sarili naming investigation at gumamit kami ng undercover agent… at napatunayan po namin na patuloy na inaalok ng subjects o ng suspek yung batang babae,” Gonzales said.

(As soon as we received the referral, we conducted an investigation and we used an undercover agent… and we proved that the subjects would continuously offer the victim.)

The two suspects have been presented for inquest proceedings for multiple complaints that include violation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022, Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act, and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.

Meanwhile, the victim has been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. —RF, GMA Integrated News