DSWD issues cease and desist order vs. Pampanga orphanage over alleged abuse

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Monday that it has issued a cease and desist order against a child care facility in Mexico, Pampanga over alleged abuse of about 160 children.

“Isa sa mga isinagawa natin, of course based on the recommendation of our regional office Central Luzon, ay 'yun nga pong mag-issue ng cease and desist order. Ito pong cease and desist order ay actually nagbibigay ng pagkakataon din na magsagawa ng karagdagang investigation at makapag-provide din ng pagkakataon sa residential care center na magbigay ng eksplanasyon doon sa mga findings ng ating standards unit, at gayun din po ay mag-commit na kung ano man po yung makita ay ma-improve,” said DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

(One of the things we did, of course based on the recommendation of our Central Luzon regional office, was to issue a cease and desist order. This cease and desist order actually provides an opportunity to conduct further investigation and also gives the residential care center a chance to provide an explanation for the findings of our standards unit, and likewise, to commit to improving whatever issues are found.)

The DSWD official warned that if the facility does not abide by the recommendations for improvements, its registration could be revoked and be blacklisted from the list of social welfare and development facilities.

“Kapag patuloy 'yung violation, hindi ma-improve yung facility pati yung management niyan, aside from the revocation of their registration and their license to operate, maarin din po silang ma-blacklist, matanggal doon po sa DSWD registry ng mga social welfare and development agencies, and of course, the closure and filing of appropriate cases,” said Dumlao.

(If the violations continue, and the facility and its management don't improve, aside from the revocation of their registration and their license to operate, they could also be blacklisted, removed from the DSWD registry of social welfare and development agencies, and of course, face closure and the filing of appropriate cases.)

The children in the facility reportedly experienced various kinds of maltreatment allegedly committed by their house parents as well as the director of the orphanage, such as being tied up with a thick metal chain, locked inside the bathroom and not given food to eat.

The agency added that several of the children rescued last week have also filed charges against the director of the facility for the alleged abuses.

“In fact, ilan sa mga bata ay nag-file na rin po ng mga criminal charges against the director of the residential care facility for the alleged abuse committed against them,” said Dumlao.

(In fact, some of the children have already filed criminal charges against the director of the residential care facility for the alleged abuse committed against them.)

The American pastor, who serves as the director of the orphanage, is facing two counts for violation of the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. Each count carries a recommended bail of P80,000 each, according to the DSWD.

The Bureau of Immigration has already placed him under the immigration watch list that will prevent him from leaving the country and will ensure his attendance to all the hearings, the DSWD earlier said.

The bureau has also issued a commitment order dated August 15 directing the transfer of the pastor to the BI's Warden Facility in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Aside from the abuses on children, the DSWD also flagged other lapses by the child care facility.

“Napansin po ng ating mga staff na walang mga kaukulang official receipts or acknowledgements ng mga donasyon na natatanggap nitong residential care center na ito. Kung makikita mo ang record nila, sila ay nago-operate based on donations,” said Dumlao.

“Mahalaga na may proper accounting ng mga donasyon na natanggap nila dahil bahagi ‘yan ng transparency na isinusulong natin.”

(Our staff noticed that there were no proper official receipts or acknowledgments for the donations received by this residential care center. If you look at their records, they operate based on donations. It's important to have proper accounting of the donations they receive because that's part of the transparency we're advocating for.)

The department added that the facility lacks social workers and house parents. It also noted that the children share beds when the ideal situation is one bed per child.

The facility was also deemed hazardous in times of emergency, Dumlao also pointed out.

“And then mayroon din tayong mga napansin na mga heavy chains, mga padlocks, may mga barb wires doon po sa gate at sa ibang daanan sa facility. Ito ay nagpo-pose ng significant risk sa mga residents especially in the event of an emergency,” she said.

(We also noticed heavy chains, padlocks, and barbed wires on the gate and other pathways within the facility. These pose a significant risk to residents, especially in the event of an emergency.)

The DSWD said the rescued children underwent psychosocial intervention following the traumatic experience. — BAP, GMA Integrated News