The Philippine Police, say they raided a alleged distribution center for pornography – But – hundreds of workers say cops raided a Sex Toy or novelty item selling call center in the Southern Philippines.
In what some describe as ‘a real life crisis that could be an episode on the TV show outsourced.’
Cops now have hundreds of computers they seized, as well as lawyers for the outsourced service provider warns, financial information of tens of thousands of ‘novelty’ customers are in Philippine Police hands.
It all happened Thursday in Davao City – where Call Center Phone order takers suddenly faced police raiding teams with assault rifles and backed up by Police in SWAT teams.
The raid’s purpose based on a issued search warrant was to curb pornography sales which Police have vowed to stamp out.
The company is openly saying someone may have misinformed police – lkely disgruntled employees or business rivels. While they admit some of the novlety items they are selling are often called ‘sex toys’ which they market for a client to international customers.
Then workers worried over jobs they might lose – went viral; the scene turned into a instant ‘people power protest’,
As scores of workers who said they were merely taking phone orders for a unnamed US based novelty company held a instant prayer rally. Those tech savvy among sellers then blogged and tweeted and text-ed and facebooked what they called was over-kill by authorities versus the firm.
Something denied strongly by Police Officers of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s, Davao based, Task Force Maverick. "We followed the law, there is a search warrant, we are invstigating.’ cops who raided the business process outsourcing or (BPO) firm in Davao City after receiving tips from informers that the BPO is involved allegedly also into pornography sales.
Which is against the law in the Philippines.
Police claimed in the application for the search warant, they believe pornography, including the possible sales of child porn, was occuring something cops are quick to point out they will never tollerate.
Images and videos from the Philippines which bans with stiff penalities the making of – even though it is a major provider online of such materials all illegal – according to global police agencies like INTERPOL whose efforts to curb the trade are focused on places like the developing world.
This was the subject of the search warrant, The Philippine Police raiding team hit Cyber City Teleservices on Sobrecary St., of the Philippines third largest community of Davao City and confiscated more than 600 computes and client documents, which contain credit card numbers, and billing information.
Authorities showed media the recovered "sex toy brochures" and comuters all properly secured in a police storeroom – from outbound call center sales office. But no ‘novelty items’ the group were selling.
If found to hve been engaged in pornography sales the owners as well as the client face criminal prosecution – by law it is illegal to be filmed, produced, or, edited in the country. It is increasingly a popular destination for providing outsourced services for the trade.
‘Only Dildos – No Porn’- say workers
The call center firms officials are worried over the raid noting they were only selling novelty items and are not engaged in sales of films or images of pornography.
The solicitor for the Teleservices Cyber City which has 18 call centers in Davao City in the Philippines stressed that, "This is a legitimate business in Davao City. We have nothing to hide. We go on legal process," said Atty. Enrique Diola on a television interview shown in the capitol to Manila.
Philippine police say the raid was coordinated with international law enforcement agencies and assure that any credit card numbers or information on sales will be protected. "Those buying sex toys have nothing to worry about – this is an effort on our part to stop the sale of child pornography which we have reliable information that came from this location. It may have been the work of individuals and not the company itself – no one not guilty need worry. We will follow due process. " Senior Superintendent Pedro Cabatingan Jr., regional chief of the Police CIDG told reporters at impromptu press conference broadcast on radio,
Sex toys or novelty items are not agianst the law however in the Philippines and Police were quick to add they know the importance of the call center industry in the country which recently topped India as the top destination for outsourced call services in the world.