Tourism office to meet Bogo resort owners

Bogo City’s Tourism Office will schedule a meeting with resort and hotel operators to  intensify its campaign against human trafficking in the city.

“We want to meet and inform them about our campaign on human trafficking. The coordination between us will be a big help for this advocacy,”  said Jocelyn Tan, Bogo City tourism officer.

Bogo City ranks sixth in Cebu in terms of tourist arrivals. Last year it had 15,000 tourists arrivals, Tan said.

Last April 7, four girls were rescued by police inside Gabrielle’s Court, after the mother of two girls from Bogo tipped them off that children were  staying in the room of a guest,  73-year old Canadian  national Lewis Caouette Talbot.

READ: Foreign retiree caught with four girls in motel room

Police reports described the establishment as a motel and said they found the girls, aged 9 to 12, watching television in the room.

Talbot is now detained in the Bogo police jail along with the mother and grandmother of two of the girls.

READ: Arrest in Bogo city a ‘positive response’, says NGO

Last Friday, charges of human trafficking and child abuse were filed against Talbot and the two women  before the office of City Prosecutor Ivy Tejano.

“We will also call the management (Gabrielle´s Court) once we receive updated reports from our police women´s desk,¨ Tan said.

PO3 Rosalie Arnoco of the Bogo police precinct’s women’s desk said their office received a letter the other day from the Canadian Embassy containing a list of lawyers for Talbot to choose from.

“So far no lawyer showed up here for the Canadian national,” she said.

The suspects will be brought to the prosecutor’s office today for inquest proceedings.