THE REGULATORY and Complaint Board (RCB) will recommend the closure of a known hotel in Barangay Cugman in Cagayan de Oro City for allegedly violating the Children's Welfare Code.
The recommendation comes after the rescue of 10 females, seven of them are minors, who were staying at the hotel with two Chinese men, on Sunday, March 31. The hotel has yet to issue a statement.
RCB chairperson lawyer Edgardo Uy said that under the Children's Welfare Code, every hotel, motel, inn is required to register the names of minors in a separate log book. This is to avoid cases of human trafficking and prostitution in these establishments.
"Dili pwede muingon ang operator nga wala silay labot (hotel operators can't say they are not accountable to this), under the Code, there is a presumption that they know there are minors checking in. That's why, they should have a separate log book for minors," Uy said.
"While we are not anti-business, but the business community should also toe the line because we have regulations. We will hit them where it hurts," he added.
Uy said it is not certain whether the hotel and the Chinese suspects connived to allow the entry of the minors, but he said the hotel has an obligation and duty to record the minors.
"Not connivance, but the handwriting is on the wall," he added.
RCB secretariat Antonio Resma said the RCB and other law enforcement agencies have been monitoring the hotel due to reports of rape inside the facility.
Resma said pictures of the rescue indicated that the minors might have been staying in the hotel for a while already. He said they were also alarmed upon seeing boxes of condoms in the room.
"Maybe they thought we wouldn't operate in big hotels, but rest assured we will fairly implement our regulations, and shall cover all hotels," he said.
The arresting agency, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Northern Mindanao, refused to give details of the operation, not even the names of the Chinese suspects.
Meanwhile, the seven minors rescued are currently under the care of the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD).
"The minors are under our custody, they are undergoing counselling," CSWD department head Nida Paña said.
Paña said two of the seven minors were also rescued in an operation by the RCB last year in an inn.
She said every minor has undergone counseling, but eventually, they will have to be returned to their families.
"We will see kung unsay (if there is a) responsibility sa (to the) parents, they might face case or penalties if our evaluation shows naay neglect on their part," she said. (PJ Orias)