POLICE arrested a woman who allegedly pimping children to foreign customers online in Taguig City, Saturday night.
Elements of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit (CIDG-MCIU) nabbed Ma. Lorena Regalona alias “Rhea,” of Gumamela St., Wawa, Taguig City, after an informant tipped off her location last week.
CIDG Director Amador Corpus said Regalona had long been the subject of police operations for allegedly trafficking children.
Through Oplan Pagtugis, CIDG operatives served two warrants of arrest against Regalona after she was spotted in Barangay Wawa around 6 p.m., Corpus said.
Police believe that Regalona resurfaced after several years of hiding from the law because she would continue her online pimping operations.
“Accordingly, the online sex shows of children was their family business,” Corpus revealed.
“Their clients for the online show were foreigners, and children from their neighborhood were the ones doing the sexual acts online,” he added.
The warrants of arrest were issued by Judge Byron San Pedro of Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 for qualified trafficking in persons and three counts of violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law.
The court recommended a P200,000 bail for Regalona’s qualified trafficking in persons charge. However, no bail was set for her child abuse case.
Regalona was brought to the CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, for documentation and detention. (Martin A. Sadongdong)