‘Pimp’ mom, lover face raps

FOR pimping her 15-year-old daughter, a mother and her American live-in partner will face trial in court after they were charged with criminal cases by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Simaco Labata found evidence to charge Dina, 36, and Roger, 46, (not their real names) for violating Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Anti-Child Abuse Law as amended by RA 9231 or the anti-child labor law, and RA 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

For the human trafficking case, Labata did not recommend bail for both accused. He set the bail for the child abuse case at P60,000.

Roger was also charged in court for resistance and disobedience to a person in authority, after assaulting a police officer. The bail was set at P200.

Dina and Roger were arrested on Pelaez St., Cebu City last Aug. 8.

Sun.Star Cebu is withholding the real names of the parties involved since the law prohibits the media from naming trafficking suspects and their victims.

Escape

Before the arrest, both accused went to the school of Dina’s 14-year-old daughter, Jane (not her real name), in Cebu City.

Jane ran after she saw them and she hid inside the comfort room.

“I was afraid that (they) will take me…and bring me to the Colon area and sell me to customers for sex,” she said in her affidavit.

The couple approached the teacher, who denied Jane’s presence after she was surprised to see the child’s reaction.

When the teacher learned about what happened, she and the school principal sought the help of Basak San Nicolas barangay officials, who then helped them report it to the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RAHTTF).

Jane said she went to her grandmother, after she could not bear the physical abuse she received from both accused.

Rescue

A team from the RAHTTF eventually rescued Jane’s sister, Janice, 15, and arrested the couple.

The police learned Roger was the collector of all the proceeds of Janice’s sexual services to customers and he used the money to buy illegal drugs.

“In fact, they even introduced the use of drugs to their children,” said the arresting police officers in their joint affidavit.