Traffickers leave clubs, head off to cyberspace

Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane gives updates on the trafficking cases. With him is Regional Director Ricardo Diaz (second from right) of the NBI-7; Insp.Sheryl Bautista; Lawyer John Tanagho of IJM Cebu (1st from left partly hidden); Rosemarie Salazar of DSWD (2nd from left); Jedidah Sumignan of the Cebu Provincial Women’s Commission (3rd from left); and NBI agent Rey Villordin. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

While incidence of child prostitution and sexual exploitation in Cebu City bars and night clubs went down, human traffickers shifted to cyberpornography, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday.

“Times are changing. We’ve noticed a shift from the traditional form of trafficking to cyber-trafficking. Indeed, the battle against this problem should be waged globally,” Regional NBI Director Ricardo Diaz said yesterday.

In yesterday’s press conference, Diaz said the NBI conducted fewer operations against human trafficking this year since there were fewer complainants who sought their assistance.

“The NBI can act upon complaints. But we got very few complainants this year although we received some referrals from IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) and our foreign counterparts,” Diaz said.

The council expressed elation over the recent conviction of six people who were accused of exposing women and children to prostitution in the cities of Cebu, Bogo, and Marikina.

Last Oct. 27, a Cebu City court convicted three women who exposed 26 young women to prostitution at Red Lips Bikini Bar along Mango Avenue in Cebu City. They were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The following day, the court in Bogo City convicted a couple who owns a videoke bar where minors were allegedly exploited.

Another woman was also convicted for human trafficking in Marikina City.

Senior Insp. Sheryl Bautista, deputy chief of the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, encouraged the public to help law enforcers fight human trafficking.

“The modus operandi of human traffickers have changed. And so we are changing our gears to fight cybercrimes. This is our challenge,” she said.

Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane said there should be no letup in the war against human trafficking.

“The state of human trafficking in Central Visayas is currently not alarming but there have been continuous number of trafficking cases,” he said.

Records of the Regional State Prosecutor showed there were 75 trafficking cases filed last year.

The number went down to 34 in the first half of this year.

Lawyer John Tanagho of the International Justice Mission credited law enforcers and prosecutors for the drop in trafficking cases.

“The problem is not completely gone but due to strong law enforcement operations and prosecution, we have seen a reduction of a prevalent crime like this,” he said.