Two convicted for trafficking

CEBU, Philippines - For hiring and maintaining four girls for the purpose of prostitution and pornography, Regional Trial Court Judge Silvestre Maamo convicted two pimps for violation of human trafficking.

“It can be said that the two accused trafficked the private offended parties by taking advantage of their vulnerability. One of the victims was unemployed and has a baby to feed, which means that she was in dire financial straits,” the decision reads.

Maamo found the two accused guilty of the crime charged beyond reasonable doubt.

The two were meted to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and to pay P2 million as fine and P500,000 as moral damages to the victims.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the accused and the victims due to the sensitivity of the issue and in compliance with the law.

Upon arraignment, the two accused pleaded not guilty. In order to prove their guilt, the prosecution presented four witnesses including one of the four victims.

One of the victims, 20, a resident of Pasil, Cebu City, said she knew the two accused because she worked as “semi-prostitute” at the age of 19.

She narrated she knew them because her friend (also victim) was a live-in partner of one of the accused. The two accused are a lesbian and a man.

The victim said the accused were the ones who negotiated with the customers.

On June 18, 2009 along Juana Osmeña St., the police acted as decoy and were able to rescue the victim and arrested the accused.

One of the victims said she and three others were brought to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Center.

SPO1 Raul Sabaldan, assigned at the Regional Anti-trafficking Task Force (RATTF)-7, said that in 2009 they received reports about trafficking.

He said they conducted three days surveillance before the operation was conducted leading to the arrest of the accused.

He said their colleague acted as decoy and purchased girls for sex. He added that after the transaction was consummated they then arrested the accused and rescued the girls.

His testimony was corroborated by PO3 Jose Erwin Dumaguit and PO1 Linda Almohallas. The two accused denied the charges.

The 37-year old lesbian and a resident of Ma. Cristina St., Cebu City, admitted knowing the victims and co-accused but denied engaging in recruitment and hiring girls for prostitution.

She admitted being in the crime scene but clarified that she only accompanied her girlfriend (one of the victims) at Juana Osmeña.

The other accused, a 28-year old man, denied the charges. He said he went to the area because he accompanied his live-in partner, one of the victims, whom he said was not familiar with the place.

Thereafter, he said he was arrested then “struck by a handgun” and forced to receive the money which the police handed.

Maamo, in his ruling, stated the prosecution positively identified the accused. He added the actuation of the accused was a violation of the law.     - THE FREEMAN