Breaking News!!!

By MARK D. FRANCISCO
of MINDANAO GOLD STAR DAILY

NINE female minors coming from Cagayan de Oro City were rescued by local social welfare personnel in Cebu City after they were lured into trafficking.
In her report before the City Council committee on public safety yesterday (Wednesday, November 26, 2008), Cagayan de Oro acting social welfare officer Marisa Tagarda said the nine girls were aged 16 to 21.
They came from barangays Bonbon, Macasandig, Bugo, Camaman-an, Lapasan and Kauswagan.
These young women were rescued by personnel from the Crisis Intervention Unit of the Cebu City social welfare and development (CSWD) department at the port area of Cebu in the morning of November 13, 2008, Tagarda reported.
Tagarda added that the Crisis Intervention Unit of the Cebu City CSWD is maintaining personnel at the city’s entry points, particularly in its airports and ports, to track child trafficking situations.
She said the Crisis Intervention Unit personnel easily knew that the nine girls were victims of child trafficking because they huddled together at the port area lounge for a peculiarly longer time after their arrival.
The victims could not be easily reached by the media as of presstime but Tagarda said they are already under the custody of the Cebu City CSWD and are expected to arrive in Cagayan de Oro shortly.
Initial reports reaching Tagarda’s office indicated that the girls would be turned into prostitutes and sex slaves not just in Cebu but as far as Pangasinan province in Luzon.
“Gipasaligan kining mga bayehana kay maayo lagi modiskarte ilang recruiter,” Tagarda said.
No suspects have been arrested by the Cebu City law enforcement authorities because the victims were alone when spotted.
But Tagarda said they are looking into the angle that one of the victims’ parents are involved.
Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) director Senior Supt. Isagani Genabe, who was present in the City Council committee hearing, vowed to look into the case.
Committee chair Ian Mark Nacaya also said that the committee would study further actions that child trafficking in the city be prevented.