6 girls rescued from human trafficking in Butuan city

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — Authorities rescued six females, most of them minors, from suspected prostitution dens and human trafficking here recently.

Erlinda Mordeno, 64, aunt of one of the minor victims and Jean Sagabin, 24, cousin of another minor victim [the victims do not have the same surnames] allegedly brought their young relatives to this city to work at a KTV bar. They claimed poverty pushed them to traffick the young girls.

“They have tried all odd jobs like housemaids before but they quit due to rampant exploitation since they were overworked, ” Mordeno said.

On Oct. 6 evening, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)  –– under Oplan Nena supervised by CIDG-Caraga regional chief Supt. Augusto Daskeo –– rescued six females working as entertainers from Darling KTV and Videoke Hauz in Barangay Doongan, this city.

Daskeo said they arrested the owner of the bars. He identified the bar owner as Florencia Hogan, 40, married and resident of Purok 1-A, Barangay Doongan, Butuan City for violating R.A 10364 otherwise known as “Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons especially Children and Women Act of 2012.”

Daskeo said the operations to rescue the minors came from complaints of concerned citizens that the establishments were allegedly offering sex services to their customers using the young girls.

Daskeo said all rescued young girls are now in the custody of the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the DSWD in Butuan City while charges have already been prepared against bar owner.