The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering P100,000 to anyone with information about a couple being hunted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly running a website that features "crush videos" showing Filipino girls torturing animals to death.
“There is no doubt that forcing children to crush live animals to death is an atrociously vicious and heartbreaking cruel crime,” said PETA Asia’s campaigns manager, Rochelle Regodon.
NBI Environmental and Wildlife Protection and Investigation Division (NBI-EWPID) chief Sixto Comia has recommended the prosecution of Chita Dorma Ridon, alias Lyn-lyn Burnok, and Vic Ridon, residents of Venflor Village, San Fernando City, in La Union.
Last year, the United States Supreme Court overturned on appellate court ruling banning crush videos. The court found that Section 48 was substantially overbroad, and therefore invalid under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The couple faced a string of charges which includes violation of Sec. 4 and 6 of Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act), Sec. 5, 9 and 10 of Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act) in relation to Sec. 6 of Republic Act No. 8485 (Animal Welfare Act).
"We’ve long been looking for this couple because of the spread of crush videos in the country. They’ve been transferring from one place to another to avoid arrest,” Comia told the Manila Bulletin.
The case against the two, according to Comia, stemmed from the complaint of the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC), represented by Ramona Eliza T. Consunji, that they were maintaining a website where the "crush videos" were uploaded.
Comia said the videos were in demand among foreigners with a fetish for seeing scantily clad women torturing or killing a variety of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, snakes and frogs.
"The customer specifies what type of animal he or she wants to see being tortured. They also specify how the animals are to be killed and even what the female models will wear," he said.
The videos the AWC submitted to the NBI as evidence showed Filipino girls kicking a dog to death and gouging its eyes with their stiletto heels, a rabbit having its ears removed and being flayed alive, a frog being stomped to death, and a monkey being kicked to death.
The group said a certain Chita Ridon sold videos of women killing pet animals.
The Bulletin learned that a crush video sold for $80. Two clips went for $150 while three clips, $200.
In her complaint, Consunji said she went to the website, logging on as "Ron Davis," and made several transactions with the suspects.
Apart from selling crush videos, the NBI said the couple employed minors to torture the animals.
A 14-year-old woman told Consunji she was forced to wear skimpy lingerie and do such act to the animals.
By LEONARD D. POSTRADO
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