DSWD: Don't allow foreigners to sleep in orphanages
By Ben O. Tesiorna
Friday, November 09, 2007 Sun, Star Davao
FOREIGNERS should never be allowed to sleep in orphanages to ensure protection of the orphans from possible abuse.
The provincial chief of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Davao Oriental reminded people running orphanages not to allow such practice even if the foreigners donate a huge amount or offer help for free.
"You should not allow these foreigners who visit orphanages to sleep with the kids. That is not allowed as far as I know. They (foreign visitors) can only visit the kids for a short time but they should not be allowed to sleep with the abused kids because these foreigners could be pedophiles posing as child-friendly visitors," said Daniel Con-il, DSWD provincial officer.
He made the call after a suspected American pedophile was arrested in the United States for taking nude photos of young boys from an orphanage in the municipality of San Isidro.
"We should really be very strict with regards to accepting visitors to the orphanage. We should check first their background, especially the foreigners. Allowing these visitors to stay for long inside the orphanage is not good practice and should not be allowed," Con-il said.
Three kids in the House of Joy orphanage in San Isidro town confirmed that detained suspected pedophile Paul Carlock fondled their sex organs and took photos of them naked.
Authorities arrested Carlock in the US upon his arrival from the Philippines for child pornography. US authorities confiscated his digital camera and laptop for containing nude photos of kids from the orphanage.
Con-il said that in a provincial government-run orphanage in the City of Mati, "foreigners could not easily enter the house for abused kids."
The House of Joy orphanage houses at least 40 orphaned and abused young kids.
"Right after the news came out that Paul Carlock was arrested in the United States for child pornography, we immediately talked to the kids in the orphanage to know whether they were abused by this clown man who likes to stay in our orphanage. At least three kids have confessed to me that their sex organs were fondled regularly by Paul Carlock. We were so shocked because we have known him to be a very good man. He always led the prayer for the kids. Every Sunday, he brought with him the Bible as he led the kids to the Church," said Aida Karasuyama, executive director of the House of Joy orphanage.
US authorities said Carlock is a retired policeman and went to the Philippines to volunteer as Christian missionary. The kids fondly called Carlock as "Kuya Paul the Clown."
Carlock first arrived in the orphanage in 2004 and stayed in the orphanage for two weeks on that same year. This year, he arrived in the orphanage in June and stayed for two months, according to former San Isidro town mayor Tina Yu. (With Ferdinand Zuasola)