Senator Nancy Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Nancy Binay is seeking an inquiry into the release of a British national, who has been accused of molesting a minor in Tarlac four years ago.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 540, Binay urged appropriate committees in the Senate to investigate what she described as the “arbitrary release” of Lynch Morris, who was arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of a six-year-old girl in 2010.
She said Morris seemed to have received some special preference from officials of the Bureau of Immigration “given the fact that a charge sheet was filed three years after the victim’s parents filed a complaint.”
“Napakalaking pagkakasala po ng pangmomolestya sa ating mga kababaihan at kabataan pero parang sinasadyang manipulahin ang kaso nitong si Lynch Morris,” Binay said in a statement on Tuesday.
(Molesting women and minors is a big crime but it seems there’s a deliberate attempt to manipulate the case of this Lynch Morris)
The senator then noted how the BI allegedly gave Morris a chance to defend himself before the Special Board of Inquiry while denying the same chance to other detained foreigners who only have administrative cases.
“Sana po ay mabigyang-linaw kung paano na ganoon na lang ay iniatras ang reklamo dito kay Morris gayong inireklamo siya ng tatlong beses na pangmomolestya sa bata,” she said.
(I hope they would shed light on why they suddenly withdrew the complaint against Morris when he was charged three times for molesting a minor)
Morris was reportedly arrested after the father of the victim filed a complaint against the suspect for allegedly molesting his daughter three times in April 2010.
The complaint was withdrawn and finding no criminal record on the British national, Morris’ case was dismissed due to mere technicality.
Morris was freed from detention in the Bureau of Immigration Warden Facility in Taguig City, a move that was questioned by Foreigners for Justice and an unnamed immigration official.
“There were clear lapses on the part of the arresting officers, the prosecution and immigration officials. Cases like these should not be carefully assessed and thoroughly reviewed to avoid technicalities,” Binay said.
In her resolution, the senator expressed alarm that the country was becoming a sex tourist spot for foreign sexual predators because of lax immigration policies.
“Wala naman po sigurong magulang na naghangad ng masama para sa kanilang anak. It is important that we make sure that we make our country a safe place for our children to live in,” Binay said.
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