Mandaue prepares for international anti-human trafficking day celebration

CEBU, Philippines – The Mandaue City government will convene today the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in preparation for the observance of the International Anti-Human Trafficking Day on December 12.

The council, created by city ordinance 11-2009-534 which is the Mandaue City Anti-Trafficking in Persons Ordinance, is headed by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and co-chaired by Councilor Nenita Layese, the chairman of the committee on women in the city council.

The ordinance includes penalties for businesses found engaged in human trafficking.

The city and several Mandaue-based NGOs have worked with the International Justice Mission staff in establishing the council.

The group will introduce reforms and programs for the continuing campaign against human trafficking.

One of the highlights of today's meeting is the creation of a task force that will look into victims' complaints.

Layese said some of the task force's members will be stationed in ports and terminals.

She said the task force could inspect and conduct surveillance of bars in the city.

Layese said last month, the city government rescued three women who hail from Manila after one of them escaped from the International Bar Complex at the Reclamation Area.

It was the same bar Mayor Jonas Cortes ordered closed in May 29 last year for hiring minors as dancers and stage performers and employed women for prostitution.

Two of its foreign employers were also arrested by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detective Group -7.

Sam Inocencio, the deputy director of the International Justice Mission, who was also present in yesterday's press conference confirmed that human trafficking is rampant in Mandaue City because of many entertainment bars.

Since March 2007, 44 who were trafficked for sex have been rescued by the law enforcement agencies.

The courts in the city have charged 27 suspects and the police have arrested 22 perpetrators. (FREEMAN)