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Philippines: Child rescue ends in sexual abuse – DW – 12/02/2025
- DW reports that Destiny Rescue's Olongapo operation involved informants who allegedly abused minors during the undercover effort.
- The investigation details a poolside raid at a luxury resort where two men allegedly paid for sex with girls identified by informants.
- Survivors and staff described a breach in rescue protocol and questioned the role of informants in the operation.
- A 2023 study cited by the report estimates nearly half a million Filipino children are exploited in sex trafficking.
- The Philippine authorities reportedly relied on rescue groups like Destiny Rescue due to budget constraints in law enforcement.
- Two Destiny Rescue managers were cleared by a prosecutor, who found the informants probably guilty for use of a trafficked person.
- Only one person connected to the operation was prosecuted, a 20-year-old woman convicted of trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
- Destiny Rescue management acknowledged a 'breach in rescue protocol' in a confidential letter reviewed by DW.
- The report includes conflicting statements from Destiny Rescue regarding accountability and the role of informants.
- DW investigators spoke with survivors, law enforcement officials, and experts to map how rescue missions can expose children to risk.
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