Who's To Blame?

MANILA, Nov. 28 (PNA) -- The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the International Justice Mission (IJM) are glad to announce the latest conviction of a human trafficking case promulgated Thursday, November 27 in Paranaque City.

According to the decision penned by Judge Jaime M. Guray of the Regional Trial Court of Paranaque City Branch 260, Charmela Barrameda, Roberto Acuin a.k.a. "Wowie", Salvacion Alamares, and Gina Ajero were convicted for the crime of Qualified Trafficking in Person.

The four accused were convicted for victimizing minor girls, with ages ranging from 14-16 years old. The victims had been sexually exploited and were made to work as prostitutes by the accused.

One of the four complainants was promised the job of a cashier, while the other three were told they would work as group dancers. Instead, they all ended up as GROs in a videoke club and were forced to engage in acts of prostitution. They also were not brought to Laguna as agreed, but instead to Daraga, Albay. The victims were never allowed to leave the videoke club, until they were rescued by the NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division.

The court found the accused, Salvacion Alamares and Gina Ajero guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Republic Act (RA) 9208 and were sentenced to each suffer the penalty of imprisonment of 20 years and to each pay a fine of one million pesos.

An alias warrant of arrest was issued for Robert Acuin a.k.a. Wowie, and Charmela Barrameda.

This is the 12th conviction recorded by IACAT. Being the body created by law to coordinate and monitor the implementation of RA 9208, otherwise known as the "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003", the IACAT is monitoring about 600 other cases of human trafficking.

The IJM was steadfast in its support for the Philippine government in terms of fighting human trafficking. Since 2001, the IJM has been engaged in aggressive campaign against sex trafficking in the Philippines.

IACAT acting chairman Ricardo R. Blancaflor is thanking DOJ prosecutors and the NBI for their diligent work, and he expressed hopes that the same amount of preparations and efforts will be made in future human trafficking cases.

"Let this be a warning also against human traffickers that their glory days are over, and they must immediately stop. Whether here or abroad, the IACAT will not leave any stone unturned in its efforts to fight the crime of human trafficking", Blancaflor said. (PNA)


Reaction(s): Midterm

Child prostitution now days are very famous not just here in Philippines but in the whole world. Sad to say, most parents of this youth are the one who are responsible of this thing. They let their children engage in this matter for the reason of the economy of this country. I can barely say that governments are the most responsible on this because if they give enough work for the parents of this youth they will not let their children engage in this thing. This problem is made because of the difficulty in money and knowing that youth are very sensitive that they will do things that can help for their parents’ weather it is bad or good.

I can’t take this problem on my own and I can afford to see those youth working as sex slave. I myself am a youth and a student and I am very lucky to have a stable life that I will not take this thing as a job. When I first read this article I felt so disgusting and I felt the pity on my skin. Children are supposed to be on school and not on street and making on their thing. They supposed to play with their companion and to bond with their parents. If only government can give work for every parent I know young will not live in this life. Well, I can’t judge them according to their work. We have no right. I know the situation of our country of how cruel our economy, I can’t blame them because I know like me they also their dreams.

Aside from the fact that they used to do this because of their financial problem, we should also consider the background of the child. According to the study some of them are children who lived in streets and consider prostitution as their main living. Parents should take care of their children but what they did is that they sold their children to the foreigner for them to sustain their vices.

to end extreme poverty by 2015: POSSIBLE or NOT?

Many Filipinos still jobless and poor, says report

By Marjorie Gorospe, loQal.ph
MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA- Many Filipinos in rural areas are still jobless, poor, hungry and vulnerable, according to a report from the Social Watch Philippines (SWP).
The SWP report also noted that ten years after the historic Millennium Summit where world leaders vowed to end extreme poverty by 2015, many Filipinos are still “left behind.”
These are mostly women in rural areas, Muslims in Mindanao, and members of indigenous tribes.
According to United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to the Philippines Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, there are nine sectors in the country that have been left behind despite reported economic growth.
“With only five years remaining, we are shifting our focus to strategies that will allow us to breakthrough and accelerate the pace of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) achievement,” said Badcock in a forum, calling on Congress to “combat poverty head on”.
The official said women in rural areas remain at risk. These women continue to struggle because of the lack of capital, insufficient income, and absence of alternative or sustainable sources of livelihood.
She also cited the growing number of Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 who are forced quit school to work and help support their parents and young siblings.
Aside from women and out-of-school youths, small-scale fisherfolk and resource dependent workers also remain left behind.
Displaced Muslims are also becoming vulnerable as they struggle to have basic needs such as decent homes. These groups also lack capital to start a new livelihood, and do not have access to education and health services.
These groups are also vulnerable to the persistent threat of an armed conflict.
The rising number of Filipinos with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) should also be addressed. AIDS cases in the country have reached 5,729 as reported from 1984 to October 2010.
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loQal.ph is a website owned and operated by Filquest Media Concepts, Inc. It works under the principle of giving voice to the voiceless, empowering Filipinos and uplifting the image of the Philippines by highlighting its unique culture. To do this, the loQal.ph team produces stories, video, photos and other multimedia content types to inspire and celebrate Filipino achievements, ideas, products and places.

 

Reaction(s): Prelim

Out of all the Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines is the worst when it comes to poverty. This issue should have been given focus by the government since it affects the lives of the people on its extremes. The most crushing point here is that majority who are poor are almost the same people who are jobless.

Being an unemployed individual in a world of economic crisis seems to be the hardest reason for us to continually survive. Women who live in rural areas said to be one of those who carry the great impact of poverty. They are regarded as the patient assistants of men who work for their livelihood. Most of them do depend only on the available sources of income in their provinces and since least jobs are offered in these areas they suffer because of it. This reason had bear also the result of lack of education by the growing number of Filipinos because they prefer to work on their young age rather than spend time schooling when they can't even afford to provide themselves with basic needs. 

Another group of people who suffer from this economic epidemic are the Muslims in Mindanao. They cannot find decent jobs in Mindanao because of the rampant and consistent conflicts happened in this place. They could hardly build a new livelihood whenever they are distracted by relentless danger and they have insufficient capital in order to support their living.

Members of the indigenous tribes are said to be affected also by poverty. Aside from the fact that they maintain and practice their culture living on remote areas, it is not easy for them to be hired for a job since most firms would choose those skilled graduates from the urban places. Discrimination may also be another factor for them to be left behind from employment.

In the case of Millennium Development Goal, they aimed to end the extreme poverty on the year 2015 which is five more years to go. This goal would be impossible to reach if we will not change our strategies in eliminating this issue because there are still thousands of people, specially in the Philippines, who are termed as still "left behind". The crisis gradually becoming worst than to be better. Thus, I suggest that the state should not only decide among the officials themselves but rather have a participatory planning together with the people. We won't succeed on this problem if they won't listen to the side of the people who are most affected. With cooperation and determination,this goal would be realizable and would not remain as a dream only.