Child trafficking syndicates exist in Iloilo City
Iloilo City is a center of trade and industry in Western Visayas, thus, some syndicates are making this city a lucrative destination for their modus operandi. Child trafficking syndicate is one example.
Last year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD-6) here was able to entrap an illegal recruiter of five minor children from South Cotabato.
Dr. Minda Brigoli, newly-installed regional director of DSWD-6, said these children were rescued with the help of their families and several policemen.
She said according to the victims, their recruiter offered them to work as waitresses but when they start working, they were forced to have ‘extra services’ and lately engaged into commercial sex trade.
The youngest among the victims is a 13 year-old out-of-school youth.
Currently, these five minor children are part of the 35 victims housed at the Home for Girls (HFG) in Cabatuan, Iloilo.
Brigoli said that they will send and turn-over these children once their proper custodians are ready to face their responsibilities.
“The children’s safety is our main concern,” she told members of the Iloilo tri-media during a press conference at the Grand Tower in Iznart Street, Iloilo City Wednesday morning.
She added that the child trafficking cases are still pending at the prosecutor’s office.
Meanwhile, to preempt similar incidents from happening again, Brigoli said that DSWD-6 is coordinating with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and PNP to be vigilant in monitoring any suspicious shipment of children here especially without the parents’ consent.
The regional director also urged parents to love, guide, respect and let these children exercise their rights.