5 minors rescued from sex traffickers

The campaign against human trafficking particularly children is being pursued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following reports that minors are being peddled to customers for sex in exchange for money.

Atty. Janet M. Francisco, head of the NBI-Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD), said the division has been engaging with human traffickers to rescue minors from being engaged in sex trafficking perpetrated by some syndicates.

She said the campaign against human trafficking is relentless, as minors mostly from poor families are forced to have sex for a fee to be able to survive daily.

The suspects were caught in flagrante delicto receiving the marked money paid by a poseur-customer in exchange for the sexual services of a minor.

Only recently, the NBI-AHTRAD arrested Alvin Baldomar, alias Maja Nicolas, 21, and a 17-year old, both of whom were peddling girls aged 13- to 17-years old to male customers.

Francisco said the minors were being paid from P3,000 to P5,000 by customers, and part of the money goes to Baldomar as part of the deal.

NBI agents rescued five girls, aged 14- to 17-years old, and a 19-year old during an entrapment operation in Pasig City last 18 September.

The operation follows the order of NBI director Dante Gierran to go after human traffickers and save their victims.

The suspects were caught in flagrante delicto receiving the marked money paid by a poseur-customer in exchange for the sexual services of a minor.

The rescued victims were placed under custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Pasig Social Welfare Department along with the 17-year old suspect.

Francisco said the suspects were inquested before the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Department of Justice for violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended in relation to the Special Protection against Child Abuse, Exploitation, Discrimination law.