'DI' gets 20 years for selling girls as sex slaves

MANILA, Philippines -  A Parañaque regional trial court judge sentenced a dance instructor to 20 years in jail after finding him guilty of selling girls, one of them a resident of Parañaque, to work as sex slaves in Daraga, Albay.

Judge Jaime Guray of Branch 260 also ordered Roberto “Wowie” Acuin to pay P1 million to his four victims, whose ages ranged from 14 to 16 years when he recruited them in 2007. Acuin is one of four personnel of the Hannah Bee videoke bar in Daraga who were charged with qualified trafficking in persons for exploiting underaged girls by ordering them to dance naked and have sex with customers.

The girls were only rescued after one of them escaped and sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation. Seven minors were rescued when NBI raided the bar on Feb. 7, 2007.

Bar owner Salvacion Alamares and Gina Ajero, who were arrested during the raid, were convicted in 2008. Acuin was arrested the same year but was convicted only last Jan. 11. Guray said he has been transferred to the New Bilibid Prisons.

Another accused, Charmela Barrameda, remains at large.

The victims testified that in February 2007, Acuin told them he needed dancers for a feast in Laguna and promised to pay them P500 per dance. When the victims agreed, Acuin accompanied them to a bus station and they boarded a bus they thought was bound for Laguna. However, when they woke up, the victims found themselves in Daraga, Albay already, Guray said.

Acuin instructed the victims to lie about their age when they were introduced to Alamares. According to the victims, Acuin brought them to a mall to buy skimpy clothes and taught them to dance “all the way” or naked.

The victims said Acuin promised the girls “extra pay” for each customer they service. The victims added that they were not allowed to leave the bar.

“They were locked inside their rooms and… guarded to prevent them from leaving. They were only allowed to leave when they would go to the mall to buy skimpy dance outfits with the supervision of...Acuin,” the court said.

The victims further alleged that they were “required to be nice to the customers,” who would fondle the girls as they danced or sat beside them.

Acuin admitted to being a dance instructor for Hanna Bee but denied knowing or recruiting the victims.

In his decision, Guray said the victims were “straightforward, consistent, and clear” in narrating their ordeal.