Miyerkules, Mayo 13, 2015

The Real Threat of Sex Tour



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

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