In a blatant abuse of Philippines’ child protection laws, poor kids from Manila’s streets are being caged in filthy detention centers and forced to share the space with adult criminals. The terrified children are being made to sleep on dirty concrete floors, starved and chained to pillars. Many of them are brutally beaten and abused by elder inmates.
No, these are not juveniles being punished for their mischief or any offence. Their only crime is that they were born on the poverty-racked city roads and are now needed to be hidden into enclosures to ‘smarten up’ the Philippines capital ahead of the five-day pastoral visit by Pope Francis. Government officials have thus ‘ensured’ that these urchins are hidden from view when the Pope conducts an open air mass on January 18 at Manila’s Rizal Park expected to be attended by six million people. (Read: Pope Francis gets rockstar treatment in Manila)
A MailOnline investigation found out that hundreds of boys and girls were rounded up from doorways and roadsides by police and put behind bars in appalling conditions to make the city more ‘presentable’ and ensure they are not seen by Pope Francis. Ironically, Pope Francis had said that his focus for the Philippines trip will be on the poor, exploited, and the victims of injustice.
Simon Perry of MailOnline gained rare access to the House of Hope with Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Irish missionary Father Shay Cullen, 71, who secured the release of Mak-Mak, aged 7, and another boy, aged 11 and took them to his Preda Foundation shelter for children in Subic Bay. Mak-Mak, whose legs and body were riddled with scabies, was holed up with convicted criminals in the House of Hope. Innocent children are brutalised and abused, kept behind bars in the House of Hope (set amid slums) and are fed leftovers, which they eat from the floor.
“Lots of children have been brought here lately,” said Paulo, 42, an inmate. “We’re told they’re being picked up from under the road bridges where the pope will travel”.
An infuriated Shay told MailOnline, “Mak-Mak is only about seven years old and he is behind bars. This is completely beneath human dignity and the rights of all the children here are being violated. They have no basic rights. There is no education. There is no entertainment. There is no proper human development. There is nowhere to eat and they sleep on a concrete floor. There is no proper judicial process. These kids are totally without protection. They have no legal representation. They are just put in jail and left to fend for themselves”.
Pasay Social Welfare Department head Rosalinda Orobia confirmed to ManilaStandrad that officials had for weeks been detaining street children as young as five in the areas the Pope will visit. However, she claimed the detention was aimed at removing children working for begging syndicates. “They know the Pope cares about poor kids, and they will take advantage of that,” Orobia said of the syndicates.
The caging of street children comes despite anger in the Philippines in November 2014 over photo of “Frederico”, one of the wards at Manila Reception Action Centre (RAC), which showed a boy, reduced to skin and bones, lying on the pavement. Shocked observers likened the place to a “concentration camp“. The 11-year-old boy, Francisco, is now recovering at a children’s home run by a charity Bahay Tuluyan.
The 13-year-old Angel (below) was left handcuffed to a post in the RAC for “misbehaving”.
Catherine Scerri, deputy director of Bahay Tuluyan, told MailOnline, “More children have been picked up in recent weeks and there has been a pattern of this happening before big international events in the past. It happened before President Obama’s visit to the Philippines in April 2014. When we tried to have them released we were told they couldn’t come out until after Obama had gone and the children were very much given the impression that they were rescued because of this visit”.
According to Scerri, these children are caged for sleeping on the street, for begging, or for stealing food to alleviate their hunger, and are exposed to abuse and exploitation by older children and adults.
Sources:
the government of the phillipins should be so ashamed of themselves that the honorable suicide should be there only release from this dispicable crime on children, no matter what the case these children should be treated as such and not shuved into jails and detention centers, pope francess knows this im sure of it due to the wide media involvment and he should also be ashamed to be in a place that would allow something like that to happen to gods children, for shame on all of them
this is not true! check the link the government has clarify that this claim is not true. http://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francis-ph/80883-pope-francis-street-children-manila?utm_content=buffer3ff0f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Pics don’t lie. Governments and religions are founded upon lies and control. Wake up. Pray for the kids. Put the adults doing this behind the bars.
the government say’s it’s not true, so they must be telling the truth lolololol biggest joke of all time
Those pictures are actually from the cleansing of the Brazilian favellas prior to the celebrations of the world’s largest and most important religion….football
Brazilian?are u blind? Their features are 99.99% asian!!!
That’s right all you news people that’s all you do is go to government for your stories, and you believe everything they tell you because if you don’t you will be dead, like the many courageous journalist that have been killed. your news agencies are a farce, they are a mouth piece for the government…
when have you ever seen a reporter on the scene of a crime and talk to witnesses and the general public, when have you seen a follow up investigation by the news agencies, investigative reporting is non existing. might as well live under a monarchy, because this sure isn’t freedom.
Propaganda has been used by governments for as long as there’s been a desire to control people. Of course we’re being lied to! Every country that has ever existed has done and continues to do it. We simply live in an age where hiding in plain sight has been brought to new level. In the land of 24 hour news coverage, give more information than the public can take in. Breaking news about some crisis or another might be available for five minutes while the latest antics of celebrities, new tv shows, the latest movie, or some trivial feel good bullshit is pumped up to max volume.While a few people will catch the important stuff, work to call attention to it, they are easily painted as fringe nut job conspiracy theorists. The story wasn’t there long enough for most people to read it so it didn’t happen and most of our society has been trained to not fact check just as they’ve been taught all conspiracies are full of shit. Yell wake up to the majority as much as you like but know you’re fighting programing that’s been instilled and reinforced since birth.
i’m from philippines and i’m being mindfuck by our government
🙁
mostly the people of philiphines are fanatics. so they’ll do anything to fight heresy. they’ve inherited this kind of trait from their spanish colonizer that’s why there’s a lot of rebels in the south. they continued to discriminate indigenous people.they got this modern inquisition yes genocide trust me my time in philiphines proved that
what a horrendous thing to do to poor kids. this makes me soo sad.
Clearly the admins on here are starting to succumb to conspiricy theories.
I tried my best to not cry when I was in my Advisory (a.k.a. Study Hall), which is also my U.S. History class because of the cruelty and abuse that these children are suffering from, just for being in poverty. AND I’m also half-Philippino Chinese, this is my heritage and these are only innocent children, who did nothing wrong but being unfortunate. As I’m using this article as a part of my advisory assignment, which is to write a 10-sentence summary about current news events, I have to show my teacher and the class for being aware of what’s beneath closed doors. It really does break my heart to see kids getting abused and brutalized nowadays. What did they do wrong to deserve this type of treatment ?! And ironically, Pope Francis wants to help Philippines by helping the poor, exploited, and victims of injustice and yet, this is what my people in the government take doing to these children ?! Putting them behind bars and treating them like crap ?! I DON’T THINK SO !
A petition has been started about this. The children need your help!!
Please sign and share the petition with your friends. Thank you!!
https://secure.avaaz.org/nl/petition/Authoriteiten_inPhillipijnen_en_Manilla_Save_The_street_children_in_Manilla/?fFiUqbb
If the pope visits the children while in manila, that will may shame the government into doing something, or if at least he talks about the children them, some publicity of the situation may help them.
why are these children not getting help, but getting photographed?? this is sick and inhumane. why wouldn’t anybody send them to American orphanages or something at least they wouldn’t starve to death in the dirty Philippines with their dirty people and diseased unworthy “leaders” countrys a joke.
the pope should commit suicide
haha
that’s a nice idea
fuck the pope
It’s not the pope who did this, it’s your inhumane government! Pope’s purpose of visiting Philippines is for the poor, needy, elderly and Yolanda victims, but the officials are hiding them from pope. So you should be telling commit suicide to your government…and include your self too..for being frickle-minded creature!
yeah yeah it’s not the pope those caths who misundertand the words of his holiness
does anyone still believe anonymous? even after the leaders ratted everybody thats any one out, like its been infiltrated by the states so how do you know its not a government lie?
People who are responsible for this will suffer and die!
It’s a shame that the suffering of the innocent children have to suffer more , spend their space with criminals for clearing streets for popes visit. True ly if pope can understand he has worsened the suffering of poor innocent children , even if Pope is leader of Christian community – Should be apologise to the poor innocent children & as a gift set up a rehabilitation for the children involved for their accomodation & education . Jesus always said “let children come to me and not to prevent approaching me “
this is not true! check the link the government has clarify that this claim is not true. http://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francis-ph/80883-pope-francis-street-children-manila?utm_content=buffer3ff0f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
don’t hate the pope for this , like he ordered that all kids would be jailed he’s the fucking pope not the anti-christ
“This happened for the Pope, Christians are so evil” – if i would say something like this it would hurt isn’t it??
But if it were some terrorist you would say Muslims are evil.
#Think_about_it
peace be upon you….
man we muslims got no rightz in the modern world let the christians do all the work
we are like jews in ww2. blamed for the crimes that we didn’t do man if you want to have rights join the anonymous or other man.
you’re kidding right? islamic countries make it illegal to be atheist, but you’re the one who’s rights are abused? poor persecuted muslims. you’re fucking smoking something right?
You gave up your rights when you became a muslim, free speech, free thought and the freedom to say no to Islam, that is without being killed…
What he meant and most of you don’t know that “the people” have no freedom in muslim countries run by a secular “government” or a dictator, because every time someone try opposing “the government”, they put him in jail, bully him, destroy his life, etc, for the very simple reason, if you oppose the government, then you’re a terrorist …
The pope is a smart guy. This should be brought to his attention. All of this. I think he’ll take a stand.
Sure he will, this is right in line with christian teaching, read old testement shows you what a real prick god really is!
This is not a good topic though.. Although some statements are facts.. The title’s not that pleasant..
the pope isn’t a Christian , nor a Christian leader . he’s Catholic . he’s biblical antchrist. get a kjv bible and read cover to cover, then you will be able understand biblical Christianity, its in there. its our pattern and standard . anything orther is the LIE and Deception.
Ant that the truth,the pope is the anti-Christ,its false religion and afalse idol
the pope is antchrist.
please send these pictures to the Pope so he can see for himself what happened when he visited.
Are you really that much of a fool,to believe anything your government or media said,then u deserve what will come from blindly following you me “dictators” force feed you at the troft,pffft.mindless sheep following the shepherds
All of these accusations are not true. Those pictures are old and there are from what they called abusive “sindikatos”. And those kids are already brought to an orphanage. I’m not a fan of the Philippine’s government but I’m just explaining what is right and to protect my country and fellow Filipinos. Cos if you continue believing these accusations, then you are not a true Filipino and thus making these bad things reflect on you.
You are a bone head, because someone disagrees with you , their not a true filipino, I rather be true and decent than hold a nationality above what is right!
No doubt the Opus Dei Jesuits will be picking out the fittest and healthiest kids for the Vatican brothel
Its d inhuman behaviour…. Not d pope or d govt….its about humanity…..not god or religion ….. V make d govt… C how u behave when u see a child on d street… Don’t u just pass by …
All these government official are all flying the banner of religion and swear they are good christians or muslims or whatever, but they commit these atrocities against their own people in almost every action they take.
This is wrong, and the Philippine government should be ashamed. They should release the children, apologize, and give them a bunch of money. As for the dead children, they should apologize to the children’s families, give them an enormous sum of money, than resign. Someone should also tell the Pope. I’m sure he disapproves of this shit.
This is wrong, and the Philippine government should be ashamed. They should release the children, apologize, and give them a bunch of money. As for the dead children, they should apologize to the children’s families, give them an enormous sum of money, than resign. Someone should also tell the Pope. I’m sure he disapproves of this shit.
A petition has been started about this. The children need your help!!
Please sign and share the petition with your friends. Thank you!!
https://secure.avaaz.org/nl/petition/Authoriteiten_inPhillipijnen_en_Manilla_Save_The_street_children_in_Manilla/?fFiUqbb
I’ve seen and learned a lot of things balakbayan:
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was true, sadly probably the same happens in China, N/S Korea, Thailand, etc
I told my mom after visiting the house she grew up in that I now know the true meaning of when she says I was lucky to be born in the US.
A petition has been started about this. The children need your help!!
Please sign and share the petition with your friends. Thank you!!
https://secure.avaaz.org/nl/petition/Authoriteiten_inPhillipijnen_en_Manilla_Save_The_street_children_in_Manilla/?fFiUqbb
so what if his the fucking pope I wouldn’t cafe who the fucking hell he is what makes the pope so special just as the kids are flesh and bones so is the pope just because he reads or preaches the bible Dodd t make him diffrent from another human being those kids can probably read the whe entire bible with there eyes closed.
Big deal his a Pope wow wii let’s kill these kids for the pope who knows and maybe the pope will do a few miracles here and there to bring the kids back to life again.