Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices has bared the existence of an underground prostitution and possibly pedophile ring in Oriental Negros that he said is being facilitated by tricycle drivers who double as pimps.

In the first meeting of the Anti-Indecency Board at the City Hall last Tuesday, Perdices pointed to some tricycle drivers who hang out late at night in front of the Why Not? Restaurant, a popular hangout for foreigners, which is beside the Perdices-owned Mamia's restaurant.

Perdices said he has been told that many of these tricycle drivers act as pimps for foreign customers.

He said while there is no actual crime committed along the boulevard, that is where they meet and do their transactions. He added that after the customers agree on the price, they are then brought outside of Dumaguete where they meet the women or child prostitutes.

Perdices said he has already taken this matter up with Supt. Dionardo Carlos, the new city police chief, and they are studying how to stop it.

The Anti-Indecency Board was created in August last year by virtue of a City Ordinance sponsored by Vice Mayor William Ablong, as an offshoot of the infamous "Dumaguete Scandal" video.

The video, which was widely sold by shops selling pirated VCD and DVD films across the country, showed three local women having sex with two men.

This sparked outrage among various sectors of the Dumaguete community and even among Dumagueteños now living abroad.

Dr. Profetiza Lim, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Schools Division Superintendent in Dumaguete City, was elected as the chairperson of the Board.

Linda Gesalva of the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation or GWAVE, was elected vice chairperson.

Under the city ordinance, the Anti-Indecency Board is tasked to conduct spot checks on city establishments, to monitor any live or taped showing of lewd or indecent acts.*

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