Pangasinan gov’t, cops probe alleged child exploitation in Urdaneta City

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — The provincial government of Pangasinan iw appealing to the public to give information on a reported child exploitation, abuse and other unlawful activities in a house in this city.

In a statement on Friday (Oct. 30), the provincial government said it was communicating with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) about the matter.

The Urdaneta City Police Station (UCPS) made the same call.

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The report gained attention after vlogger Christian Albert Gaza posted a video on Facebook about a house in Urdaneta City where various alleged illegal activities are said to be happening.

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These alleged crimes include child exploitation, child molestation, maltreatment, physical assault, torture and illegal drug-related activities.

The UCPS said it had taken notice of the circulating video and urged individuals with personal knowledge of, or who had witnessed, the alleged incidents to report to the police.

Witnesses, victims and other individuals with direct and credible information may personally visit the Urdaneta City Police Station.

The police said that information received will be handled with confidentiality so that the victims are protected, particularly if they are children.

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At the same time, the provincial government and the police cautioned against spreading unverified information and in publicly identifying alleged child victims.

They also warned against engaging in online speculation that could prejudice an investigation and violate the privacy and rights of those involved.

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The UCPS also stressed that the circulating video should be treated only as a source of information and does not, by itself, establish the facts behind the allegations. /apl