PROTECTING the welfare of all women, including their children has been the responsibility of the state and other concerned agencies. Both women and children are protected in the Constitution as well as Republic Act (RA) 10364, otherwise known as "Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012."
Stated under the policy that the state will give the highest priority to the enactment of measures and development of programs that will promote human dignity, protect the people from any threat of violence and exploitation, among others.
Human trafficking has also been a significant issue not only in Davao City but in the whole country as well.
The most emerging problem concerning the issue of human trafficking is that common victims of acts including sexual exploitation, sexual slavery, and prostitution are minors.
This was the information reflected on the data furnished by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) to Sun.Star Davao.
Eighteen of 19 victims of trafficking in persons were rescued by the Women's and Children's Protection Desk (WCPD) of DCPO from January to November are minors.
DCPO spokesperson Chief Inspector Milgrace Cajes Driz said that trafficking of persons refers to the recruitment, transportation of persons without the victim's consent or knowledge by means of force or threat for the purpose of exploitation.
Driz said that acts which include forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude, sex tourism, debt bondage, and pornography are the means that determine whether an act is a form of trafficking in persons.
"Diri sa Davao City ang mga common na mga biktima na atong narescue kay mga babae ug mga minors (Here in Davao City, the common victims of trafficking in persons are women and minors)," Driz told Sun.Star Davao in an interview at her office recently.
Cases of sexual exploitation and prostitution are the frequent cases of the rescued victims, Driz said.
The Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (Iacat) in Davao Region also released a data, showing that human trafficking in the region still involves sex particularly for the young girls. A total of 123 victims were recorded by Iacat where 68 were female minors, 44 female adults, eight male minors, and three were male adults.
Driz said that the trafficking victims engaged in these activities due to poverty and the worst, these victims are being trafficked with the consent of their relatives or direct family members.
"Tungod gayud kay pobre ning mga biktima. Nangihinganlan ug kwarta (The families of the victims are dire need of money so they sell their children just to earn some money)," Driz said.
She also admitted the reason behind why most of the minors rescued in human trafficking cases here in Davao City are due to their vulnerability and weaknesses.
The average age of the rescued victims are 8 years-old to 15 years-old, Driz said.
Driz said that majority of the perpetrators arrested for trafficking were foreign nationals.
It can be recalled that an American national allegedly involved in trafficking of male minors was arrested by authorities in Davao City last August.
Village watchmen of Barangay 74-A and members of Talomo police arrested the American national identified as George William Nolana, a resident of Morales Village in Barangay 74-A, Davao City.
He was also accused of sexually abusing eight minors. The eight minors (names withheld to protect their dignity), were rescued by personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO).
The village watchmen reprimanded the eight minors after they were still on the streets as part of their Oplan Sita campaign in line with the celebration of the Kadayawan Festival.
The eight minors were endorsed to the Talomo police station for questioning, wherein they claimed to have been sexually abused by the suspect.
The victims were given food ang money and in exchange for sexual abuse.
After the arrest of foreign nationals tagged in series of human trafficking cases, authorities are now closely monitoring some of them particularly those are now residing in the city.
"Majority of the suspects are pedophile that's why their victims are minors. They have money and they can easily encourage the parents of some minors to engage in these acts," Driz said in the vernacular.
As for the forced labor, the DCPO has yet to record or encounter a case on it but they have intensified their intelligence monitoring especially in the bus terminals, seaports, and airports where the victims are being exited.
Personnel from the Anti-Illegal Trafficking in Persons are based and deployed in those areas where the victims who are promised for work abroad or in some areas are being transported.
All 19 victims of trafficking in the city were endorsed to personnel from both the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) for debriefing, psychological assistance and other assistance before they are turned over back to their respective families.
Cybercrime
With the advent of technology where cybercrimes are now possible, agencies such as National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have the capacity to monitor acts like cyber-pornography.
Cyber-pornography in several dating sites as well as recruitment agencies not registered under Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) are some of the cybercrimes monitored in the internet.
"The amount of money is huge that's why it's very tempting for those who are in need. They are promised for a job abroad but when they arrived in the promised work, they are forced to perform sexual activities," Driz said.
Responsibility of parents
She also reiterated to the parents of their crucial roles they need to portray in order to prevent their children from being victimized by the criminal minds in these acts.
"Their relationship with their kids are crucial as well as their guidance on what wrong and correct. If these kids are properly oriented then there are just small chances of them being victimized by the advantageous criminals," she added. The money should not be the deciding factor for them to let their children to engage in selling of flesh, Driz said.
Lisly Mae Callino-Dorado, one of the concerned parents, said that she's also afraid that similar cases might happen to her children.
"This is for me a very sensitive issue and it deeply pains me just to even imagine the innocent ones that are involved; those innocent ones that cannot defend themselves and are always the victims," Dorado said in a Facebook chat with Sun.Star Davao.
Dorado also scored on some irresponsible parents who directly sell their children in exchange for money.
"For parents that leads their own child to be victims of such cruelty, that's just absurd and very irresponsible. I hope they will suffer the same as what their kids are suffering and die in a very painful death. I know I’m ranting, but I just can’t help it," Dorado said.
She added, "Each child should not be the means for a family to survive in their daily needs. That would be the role of the parents which is to provide for the family and for their kids. So I would say this trafficking act of mothers/parents - that is plain selfishness and indolence."