TWO women who were caught delivering minors to foreigners were sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted by the court on charges of attempted trafficking last Oct. 10.
In a press statement released by the International Justice Mission (IJM), Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Judge Ester M. Veloso convicted Geraldine Barinque and Ryan Alfante who entered into a plea bargain for a lower sentence.
Both were previously charged with qualified trafficking in persons, a violation of Republic Act 9208 or the “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003”, punishable by life imprisonment and a maximum fine of P5 million.
Last July 5, 2013, Barinque and Alfante were caught in an entrapment operation by a task force at one of the hotels in Mabolo, Cebu City, in cooperation with the regional Department of Social Welfare and Development and IJM.
Alfante admitted to transporting the 10 females, two of whom were minors, from Toledo City to Cebu City, while Barinque was caught delivering the girls to a foreigner who posed as a customer.
The victims were turned over to the DSWD while Alfante and Barinque were also fined P500,000 and ordered to pay half a million pesos in moral damages to each of the victims.