Australia was the
fifth biggest source market last year for the Philippines in terms of
international tourist arrivals, which numbered 224,784 visitors or 5.52 percent
of our total. Naturally,
the Department of Tourism (DOT) is very exuberant with its media pronouncements
about the big potential of the Aussie tourism market in the face of its posting
double-digit growth in the past years.
With the Philippines and
Australia signing their third air services agreement in a year which should
result to more flights between the two countries, the DOT is banking on more
Australians visiting our shores. But there’s a smidgen of a dark
cloud in all of this sunshine because according to ABC News Australia, among the many Aussies
who visited the Philippines in the last four years were 250 child sex
offenders.
That’s about 70 convicted
child sex offenders flying in per year and we’re not even talking here of convicted sex offenders from
other countries like Japan or the United States going to the Philippines with the
possibility of them repeating their crimes here. That figure of 250 Aussie sex
offenders visiting the Philippines in the last four years came from no less
than the Australian Federal Police (AFP) so it is something that cannot be
denied.
In fact, AFP told ABC News that it informs all destination
countries of the sex offenders whenever they leave Australia. As a sovereign
nation, the Philippines has every right to bar the entry of foreign
undesirables especially those whose purpose of travel is to partake of the sex
trade.
Just recently, Peter
Gerard Scully, 51, an Australian, was arrested by the police and charged with
11 counts of child sex abuse, with the age of the victims ranging from 18
months to 13 years. Scully
had no prior sex-related offense when arrested.
The Philippines as a
sex tourism destination should give our tourism officials a reason for pause
to, along with our immigration, police and other law enforcement agencies,
ensure that we only attract and cater to the real tourists, while sending loud
and clear the message that pedophiles and other sex offenders are unwelcome in
our country. -end-
Image by tourism.gov.ph
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento