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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
NBI rescues 7 Cebu women from Bacolod bar
By Karlon N. Rama
CEBU CITY -- Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 rescued nine women, seven from Cebu and one of them a minor, allegedly made to work as prostitutes in a Bacolod City bar.
The rescue came after an entrapment that was done upon the request of the Office of the Cebu Governor. The operation last week resulted in the filing of charges against one Mira Malagar-Pilapil and one Marcos M. Pilapil before the Regional Trial Court in Bacolod City.
Of the two, only Mira is in custody. She was charged under inquest and is now held without bail.
Marcos, the registered owner of Diamond Angels bar, remains at large. The complaint against him has been routed under regular preliminary investigation.
He will be ordered to answer the charges against him and, if the prosecution service opts to upgrade the case in court, a warrant of arrest will be forthcoming.
In an interview, NBI Head Agent Ernesto Macabare said the operation stemmed from information relayed to them from the Office of the Cebu Governor last June 13.
Macabare, a lawyer, said the information pertained to how women from the northern town of Medellin, Cebu, were recruited by certain individuals and were employed as "sex workers" at Diamond Angels bar. A team was then formed and sent to Bacolod City.
Mira was arrested around 9 p.m. last June 21, after allegedly fixing the amount that the two undercover agents-Arnel Pura and Gregorio Tumagan Jr.-had to pay as bar fine to take two allegedly prostituted women out of the Diamond Angels bar.
The payment of P7,000 in marked bills was received by the bar's cashier, one Ruchel Gay.
In the complaint filed before Bacolod City Prosecutor Eduardo Esquilla's office, the agents charged the two of qualified trafficking in persons, a violation under Republic Act (RA) 9208.
"Any person found guilty of qualified trafficking under Section 6 shall suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of not less than P2 million but not more than P5 million," the statute reads.
It also charged them with violating Section 5(a) of RA 7610, the Special Protection for Children Act as amended by RA 9231 or the anti-child labor law.
After the NBI 7 confirmed the information, an operation was planned in Bacolod City, with the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the local labor department officials.
Pura and Tumagan entered the bar and asked the women if the bar allowed customers to hire the sexual services of the women.
The women said they could be taken out for P2,700 to be paid either to Mira or the cashier or P1,700 for sex at the VIP lounge at the second floor of the three-storey building.
Pura then went out of the bar and met up with the rest of the NBI team-Macabare, Gregorio Algoso and Florante Gaoiran-and the assisting social services and labor officials, to update them of the situation.
Pura came back together with two local agents in the pretext of joining Tumagan in the bar. When they met up, they approached Mira and told her that they would want to take women out of the joint.
They then settled the bill and handed Mira the marked money for the bar fine.
Macabare said it was at this point that the other agents were signaled to approach and make the arrest.
They made a cursory search of the premises and that this resulted in the rounding up of the women who were likewise taken into custody and turned over to the DSWD.
The girls were turned over to the DSWD Western Visayas Office, which facilitated the turnover of those from Cebu to the DSWD regional office here. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(June 27, 2006 issue)
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