CEBU CITY, Philippines - An American national was caught in the act on Sunday afternoon taking videos of 7 girls, all topless while wrestling in Daanbantayan town in Cebu province.
Officials of Barangay Malbago in Daanbantayan said they first saw the foreigner with the girls whom they thought were all minors while they were putting up a tent in a vacant lot in the mountain barangay.
Barangay Tanods responded and went to check the report. They caught the foreigner taking video of the 7 girls inside the tent. They later reported the incident to the police.
Chief Inspector Rusty Santos of Daanbantayan Police Station investigated the incident.
Santos identified the American national as Joseph Christian Bogo through his passport. The police official said that Bogo arrived in Cebu this February. He has been in the Philippines several times since 2009.
Santos also found out that 3 of the 7 girls were minors aged 14, 16, and 17 years old. The 3 girls said that they are from Pasil in Cebu City.
The 4 other girls told police that they were of legal age and they came from Bogo City. Police said they have yet to verify the information.
Police were able to recover from Bogo a mini-DV cartridge and the video camera he used to record the topless girls.
Bogo said that he knew the girls and they were all friends saying that what they did was just for fun. He said that he calls the video as “catfight, topless girls wrestling”.
But the minors said that a certain “Sheryl” from Pasil recruited them. They said they were paid P2,000 to do the catfight. Another P1,500 would reportedly be given to the girl who wins the fight. Police are still looking for “Sheryl.”
Bogo said that the video is only for his consumption. Bogo admitted that he works as a blogger but said he does not intend to post the video in his blog. He said that he travels from place to place and blogs about them.
Santos said he also saw in the video a woman whom Bogo identifies as his girlfriend. Bogo said that they are planning to get married this May.
The victims were all taken to the Regional Office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 7.
Bogo is currently detained at the Daanbantayan Detention Cell. Police said they plan to file trafficking in persons charge against Bogo at Bogo City Regional Trial Court.
Santos said that they have already informed the US embassy regarding the incident so Bogo can be provided with a lawyer.
Bogo also said that he has already informed his family in the US regarding the incident.
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