GAWAD KALINGA FOUNDER ARRESTED

BY KEVIN GALANG

THE founder of Gawad Kalinga on Friday was arrested for two counts of qualified trafficking in persons at his house  in Enchanted Farm, Bgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan.

Arrested was Tony Meloto, 76.

A report to Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez, showed that Meloto was arrested by members of the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Bulacan 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Angat police during an intelligence-driven manhunt operation around 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

Police said the suspect is the founder of the poverty alleviation and community development organization Gawad Kalinga. 

Meloto was arrested based on a warrant for qualified trafficking under Section 4 (a) of Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended by RA 10364 and RA 11862  which criminalized human trafficking, forced labor, slavery and sexual exploitation and imposed harsher penalties on them.

The warrants were issued by Judge Adonis A. Laurel of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court Branch 76 also on Friday. 

The arrest of the Gawad Kalinga founder came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to indict Meloto for alleged sexual abuse of two male beneficiaries in 2017.

Meloto founded the Gawad Kalinga, a non-governmental organization aimed at poverty alleviation and nation-building. His program aimed to transform slum areas into peaceful, sustainable communities where healthcare, education, and livelihood programs  are being offered to residents in collaboration with various sectors of the society.

Scholars of the Gawad Kalinga programs filed the complaint, claiming they allegedly suffered sexual abuse from the accused inside the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat in 2017.

The Gawad Kalinga founder denied all the charges against him.