Man gets 15 years in jail
For offering and transmitting sexually explicit images of children online in exchange for cash, a 24-yearold man is sentenced to 15 years in jail.
Online trafficker Paul John Berame has pleaded guilty to Attempted Trafficking in Persons before Judge Christine Muga-Abad of Regional Trial Court Branch 53 yesterday morning.
Berame was originally charged with Republic Act (RA) 9208 or Qualified Trafficking in Persons Act 2003 as amended by RA 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2012, a violation that leads to a penalty of life imprisonment.
The accused, however, entered into a plea bargaining agreement by pleading guilty to a lower offense.
Berame was also ordered by the court to pay a total P650,000 in fines and damages.
Lawyer Lucille Dejito, the Director of Legal Interventions of International Justice Mission (IJM), said that plea bargaining, when explored at the earliest stage of the case, makes a huge difference not only in securing accountability of the perpetrator but in achieving swift justice for the victims.
"It conserves government resources, which would otherwise be poured out into years of trial. Plea bargaining – when mainstreamed from a position of strength while ensuring that justice is not shortchanged – will have a positive impact on our criminal justice system,” she said.
The fastest convictions via plea bargain among the cases IJM supported were 13 days and 22 days from arrest, according to Dejito.
On April 5 last year, Berame was arrested through an entrapment operation initiated by the Women and Children Protection CenterVisayas Field Unit (WCPCVFU) of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 and rescued three minors in Purok Kulo, Barangay Canjulao of the city.
The operation was coordinated by IJM.
Based on the surveillance conducted by the police, Berame was reportedly involved in online sexual exploitation (OSEC), providing online pedophiles and perpetrators with nude photos of the victims whose age ranged from six to 14.
Senior Superintendent Romeo Perigo, chief of WCPC-VFU, said that Berame’s guilty plea brings closure to the case.
This is a victory for the law enforcement and for the prosecution together with IJM, Perigo said.
"He knows that there is a possibility for life imprisonment if he is convicted after full trial. It’s a victory to the law enforcement, prosecution, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT 7)," he added.
Berame is currently behind bars at the LapuLapu City Jail.
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 will be on full alert status two days before the observance of the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
PRO-7 Spokesperson Reyman Tolentin said all privilege leave will be temporarily cancelled, as police forces should be a “100 percent” intact to cover for the 444 cemeteries in the region.
He said that part of the security preparation is the stationary post of the Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) in highlyurbanized areas where highprofile persons are expected to visit their departed ones.
Tolentin said this is to maximize response time for any bomb reports, among others that may emerge during the observance.
He said though that the region remains safe from all forms of terrorism, even amid the recent arrest of a member of the Moro National Liberation Front in Lapu-Lapu City and a suspected member of Abu Sayyaf Group in Carcar City.
“Central Visayas remains to be safe, and counterpart law enforcement agencies are constantly coordinating to intensify intelligence gathering and monitoring. So far, for Undas wala’y dapat ikabalaka,” Tolentin said.
As of yesterday, the PRO-7 Command Group, including all provincial and city commanders, were in a workshop to finalize the deployment of cops in strategic areas.
He said that they are expecting the increase in the volume of people that may come to Cebu and will put additional personnel in transportation areas.
This is to make sure that lawless elements will not take advantage of the occasion and attempt to sneak in illegal drugs and other contraband, among others.
“Well, we have are already anticipated nga daghan tawo. So, of course, we will be putting police assistance desks, in bus stations and piers, apil na sa ila bantayan ang mga kontrabado, like their usual mandate, nga mga ginadili nga drugas,” he said.
He added that drunks are also not allowed inside cemeteries, and will face appropriate consequences depending on the local city ordinance.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Central Visayas and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 are now preparing for the upcoming All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.
PCG-CV Spokesperson Mike Encina said that they will be on a heightened alert starting October 30 up to November 5, 2018
LTFRB-7 Regional Director Eduardo Montealto, for his part, said that starting October 30, they will be putting up passengers assistance center in bus terminals, while the PCG will be putting up their own at the different port areas in the region.
Montealto added that they have received 97 applications for special trips already.
"Naa mga jeepneys, buses and mini buses nga nahatagan na nato og permits for special trips for the two day holidays," Montealto added.