Advertisement
Liezyl Margallo, a 23-year-old woman from Philippines, was finally found after almost two years of running away from authorities, as reported by the Inquirer.
Margallo is arrested for allegations involving child trafficking and child pornography. She is one of the main producers of an international cyberpornography trade.
Margallo was allegedly cooperating with Peter Gerard Scully, an Australian man convicted and arrested for the same charges in February 2015.
According to the Inquirer, Margallo and Scully lured street and poverty-stricken kids in Mindanao, one of the largest islands in the country.
Scully was also behind the disturbing video of a one-year-old girl being tortured and sexually assaulted while she was tied upside-down.
Margallo and Scully’s operation led to a death of a 12-year-old girl, when a bolo was inserted into her anus that caused internal bleeding.
According to NBI, it was the “worst video” they have retrieved and seen in their history of combating child trafficking and pornography. They managed to save eight victims, ages one to 12 years, in 2015. The kids were sent to social services.
Janet Francisco, lawyer and head of the NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division, said, “It was too much… They were tortured and exposed to too much pain. Anyone who do that is not normal. I could not help but cry when I saw the video.”
According to Francisco, child pornography and trafficking have been gaining alarming progress in the country. Even parents themselves sacrifice their own children to perform in the industry.
Francisco said, “These kind of business is thriving because many people are poor. They want to earn easy money, and it is difficult to catch them because these activities are done within the confines of the homes.”
Dominador Cimafranca, NBI-7 Assistant Director, said, “The girl exclaimed ‘agay’ (ouch) while she was being maltreated. A Filipino member of Interpol noticed the Visayan word and from there, they zeroed in their investigation in the Philippines, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao area.”
Cimafranca said, “If I were to describe her (Margallo), I would call her a ‘savage girl’ for what she has done to the kids. I think that description fits her.”
Margallo is now facing life imprisonment and a fine of 2 to 5 million Philippine pesos.
