A NON-GOVERNMENT organization working to protect the rights of physically and sexually abused children in Davao City said they have been receiving reports that underground pornographic movie-making activities using children is thriving in the city.
The report is coming from the children themselves.
From what they have gathered, Bernardo Mondragon of the Child Alert said, most of these movies are taken in shanties and small houses in coastal areas of Davao City.
According to Mondragon, most of these children are males made to perform sex acts with fellow males.
“Naa pa gani mga spotlights sa mga lugar, ug gina-butangan pud sila ug oil para gwapo kayo sila tan-awon (The filmmakers use spotlights and put oil on the boys’ bodies to make these look good on camera),” Mondragon said in describing the illicit filmmaking activities.
Adding to the concern is that the children say someone “big” is behind this operation.
“Basta ana lang ang mga bata na dagkong tao ang naga palakad ana ug posible na mga authorities (The children just told me that there are influential people behind the illegal activity and it’s possible that there are authorities among them),” he said.
The children that they are attending to, who have been recruited as porn stars, suffer from low self-esteem, Mondragon said.
“We are afraid na wala na silay respeto sa ilang mga sarili kay mag-lisud mi sa intervention (There is lack of self-respect and intervention measures become difficult to perform),” Mondragon said.
Meanwhile, Jeanette Ampog, executive director of Talikala, a group engaged in the protection of trafficked women and children, said their call to stop unfair treatment extends even to boys who are victims of sex trade.
