A 21-year old man was convicted with attempted qualified trafficking in persons by the Regional Trial Court Branch 33, Davao City on February 4, 2019 for attempting to pimp a 14-year-old girl in 2015.
He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment and to pay fine in the amount of P500,000. He was also directed to pay P50,000 as moral damages and P50,000 for exemplary damages.
The suspect was identified as Renz Lumicitin Solis aka “Red,” out of school youth, and a resident of Purok 8, Upper Piedad, Toril, Davao City.
Solis was found guilty of committing attempted qualified trafficking in persons under Section 4-A of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended by Republic Act No. 10364.
Solis tried to pimp the victim by offering her, through text messages, the amount of P3,000 if she agrees to have sex with his customer.
However, the transaction did not push through as the victim’s uncle was able to get hold of Solis’ text messages prompting the uncle to request the assistance of the Talomo Police Station.
Through a series of text messages, the victim and the accused agreed to meet at 7 Eleven Convenience Store in Ulas, Davao City in the evening of June 29, 2015 and boarded a taxi to meet the customer.
In the evening of June 29, 2015, the accused and the victim met at 7 Eleven Ulas and immediately boarded a taxi for the purpose of meeting the customer. Unknown to the accused, the victim was already being tailed by police officers from the Talomo Police Station. As soon as the accused and the minor victim boarded the taxi, the police officers blocked the taxi, intercepted the minor victim, and arrested Solis.
Lope Calio, presiding judge of RTC Branch 33 of Davao City, ruled that Solis has already initiated or attempted to commit trafficking in persons by texting the minor victim to engage in paid sex and by meeting with her at 7 Eleven in Ulas, Davao City. The court further ruled that since the police intercepted the illegal transaction, Solis is guilty only of the attempted stage of qualified trafficking in persons.
Members of DOJ-Iacat-Davao Anti-Trafficking Persons Task Force who handled the prosecution of the case hope that convictions of this kind would help deter the proliferation of the illegal flesh trade, especially those involving minors. (RJC)