By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
On the heels of arresting an American pastor over accusations of abusing 160 children at a child care facility in Mexico, Pampanga on August 14, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) issued a stern warning against erring child care facilities.
In a media release, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reminded childcare facilities of their obligations to look after the health, safety, and welfare of children under their custody.
Sec. Gatchalian warned, “Hindi ko naman nilalahat; alam kong marami po tayong mga care facilities na pribado na minamahal ang mga bata. Pero doon sa mga mangilan-ngilan na may ginagawang hindi tama sa mga bata, mahuhuli at mahuhuli kayo ng DSWD.”
He added, “Hindi niyo pag-aari ‘yong mga kabataan na nasa inyo, kundi ipinagkatiwala lamang sila sa inyo ng lipunan; ng pamahalaan para arugain, mahalin, [at] pangalagaan. Wala kayong karapatan na tratuhin sila ng masama o saktan niyo sila.”
Earlier, the Social Welfare chief condemned the various forms of abuse sustained by the young residents in the hands of the director of the New Life Baptist Church in Pampanga, deeming such maltreatment of children as ‘clearly unacceptable’ and thus undermining people’s trust in care facilities intended to cater to the young, sick, and elderly.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is already preparing a deportation case against Jeremy Ferguson, an American pastor accused of physically abusing at least 160 children in a care facility in Pampanga.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said, “This kind of depravity has no place in our country. We will make sure this individual is expelled from the Philippines after facing his cases here so he may never prey on our children again. Foreign nationals who think they can come here and harm our people will face the full force of the law and the wrath of our justice system.”
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