Human trafficking ‘getting rampant’ in Region 7

REGION 7 has the third highest number of human trafficking cases filed in court since 2003.

Until 2017, 357 criminal cases were filed against 325 human trafficking suspects in Central Visayas with 1,012 victims serving as complainants, said Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane.

Gubalane provided the numbers during a press conference yesterday with local officials and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) aiming to stop human trafficking and online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in the region.

Gubalane, who is also chief of the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) 7, said that based on their nationwide records, the National Capital Region ranks first with 991 criminal cases filed against 1,227 human trafficking suspects with 1,890 victims rescued.

Region 3, or Central Luzon, is second with 387 cases filed against 843 human trafficking suspects with 578 victims rescued prior to the filing of charges.

Non-cooperative victims

In Region 7, majority of the human trafficking cases were filed in courts in Cebu City (181 cases), followed by Lapu-Lapu City (62 cases) and Mandaue City (47 cases) with 42 convictions and 25 dismissals.

Gubalane said majority of the dismissals were due to the refusal of victims to cooperate in the prosecution of human trafficking suspects.

The International Justice Mission (IJM) also reported that it has rescued 99 victims of online sexual exploitation since 2011.

The latest rescue was conducted in Barangay Sangat, San Fernando, where a mother was arrested for allegedly peddling her daughter and other children to online pedophiles.

Lawyer John Tanagho, IJM Cebu field office director, said that 54 of the 99 victims they rescued were 12 years old and below, 32 were minors who were above 12 and 13 were adults.

The 99 victims were rescued in 38 anti-online cyberpornography operations.

Although he sees an increasing vigilance against human trafficking and OSEC, Gubalane lamented that such crimes are becoming rampant in the region.

In a separate interview, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale praised local government units (LGUs) that are implementing programs to prevent human trafficking and online sexual exploitation.

Magpale, who chairs the Provincial Women’s Commission, also urged constant coordination with concerned agencies, LGUs and NGOs like IJM as a way to successfully operate and prosecute personalities who commit such crimes.

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