2 minors suffer 3 days of hell as foreigner’s sex slaves in Cagayan de Oro

For three days, two girls enticed by offers of food and lodging went through hell in the hands of an Australian who kept and molested them in his house in Cagayan de Oro City.

A hunt is now on for the foreigner identified as Peter Russel, after police arrested his live-in partner, GMA Northern Mindanao's Joane Tabique reported Wednesday.

The two girls were aged 9 and 12, the report said.

One of the girls said that while she and her fellow victim were inside a mall, a woman approached them and promised them food and proper care.

But once they went with the woman, they found themselves trapped in Russel's house, where Russel would allegedly fondle their private parts.

When they cried, they would be locked up in a cabinet.

One of the girls narrated that when they were in the house, Russel would allegedly have them perform lascivious acts.

The two girls managed to escape from the house after three days, and sought assistance from a nearby police station.

Police went to the house and arrested Russel's live-in partner identified as Carmi-Ann Alvarez. Russel was not in the house at the time.

But Alvarez claimed the foreigner had instructed her to "adopt" the children.

"Pero hindi ako naniwala na ganon ang kanyang gagawin dahil ang sabi na mag-adopt lang talaga tapos ganon ang kanyang ginawa," she said.

City Social Welfare and Development office Center Stella Ferrariz said her office will take custody of the two minors for the moment.

"Pagala-gala din itong mga bata dahil ang mother nila na-interview namin kanina. Practically ang mother parang napabayaan sila so ayon, most of the time nandoon sila sa street," she said. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News