Consul ‘shocked’ over arrest of 4 Koreans for trafficking
One of four Koreans arrested on allegations of human trafficking hides his face from news cameras in the NBI detention cell.
(CDN PHOTO/ADOR VINCENT V. MAYOL)
Korean Consul General Lee Ki-seog yesterday expressed shock over the arrest of four Korean nationals who were accused of exposing local women to prostitution.
In a phone interview, Lee said he would meet with Korean consuls to discuss how they can help their countrymen who are under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Lee said they will respect Philippine laws and the country’s justice system.
“This incident is shocking. I know that human trafficking is a very serious offense here in the Philippines,” he told CDN.
As a policy, Lee said the Korean consulate will extend assistance to the four Korean nationals who will be facing charges for human trafficking.
“We, in the consulate, have a lawyer. But we can help them find the proper lawyer if they decide to look for someone else,” he said.
Pending a full investigation, Lee appealed to the NBI to respect the rights of the four Korean suspects to humane treatment.
NBI agents arrested the four Korean men on Thursday.
Wongun Ji, Dong Jun Lee, Jung Hyun Kim, and Gangil Jeung were arrested in two separate entrapment operations in Cebu City past 5 p.m.
NBI agents said they had evidence that the Korean suspects operate an online website in the guise of a travel agency based in Cebu City.
Tour packages were offered including hotel accommodations in Cebu City but their main purpose was to entice other Koreans to have sex with Filipinas for a fee.
Last Friday, the NBI armed with a search warrant seized a number of laptops, computer sets, and other gadgets at room 9A of Sentinel Condominium in barangay Banilad.
A complaint for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 is set to be filed tomorrow against the four Koreans before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.
The four suspects were tight-lipped when reporters tried to interview them.
The NBI said it is verifying the identity of a certain Peter Lim who was the Korean’s local contact.
The NBI acted upon the complaint of a Korean tourist who availed of the services of the accused for a tour package in Cebu City.
The Korean tourist said he was susprised when he was offered the sexual services of a woman.
Last Thursday, in an entrapment operations, the Korean informant met with the woman who was offered for sex by the suspects.
The informant paid $150 to the woman who was accompanied by one of the suspects, Kim.
After payment was received, NBI agents came and arrested Kim at Quest Hotel. The agents compelled the woman to accompany them to their alleged boss.
The NBI went to Sentinel Condomonium where Ji and the other suspects were staying and arrested the Koreans.
The woman in the transaction will be turned over to social workers.
The anti-human trafficking law prohibits the “recruitment, obtaining, hiring, providing, offering, transportation, transfer, maintaining, harboring, or receipt of persons with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge,…taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or, the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for purposes of prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.”
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