Human trafficking raps vs Australian

CEBU, Philippines - For hiring three minors for alleged sexual exploitation, an Australian national is facing seven counts of qualified human trafficking before the court.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima recommended the filing of the case after a review of the resolution of City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon dismissing the human trafficking case against a 50-year-old resident of Melbourne Australia.

Earlier, Sellon dropped the human trafficking case against the accused for lack of probable cause and recommended the filing of three counts of child abuse before the court.

However, in an 18-page review resolution of de Lima, she modified the resolution penned by Sellon.

Under Section 4 of the Republic Act 10071 known as Prosecution Service Act of 2010, de Lima is authorized to directly act on matters when “a probable miscarriage of justice is apparent under the circumstances.”

De Lima recommended no bail for accused.

Case filed

The City Prosecutor’s Office elevated the cases against the accused before the Regional Trial Court: six counts of qualified trafficking of a child and one count of qualified trafficking in large scale.

De Lima said the crime is “qualified” after it is committed in a large scale and the trafficked persons are all minor boys aged 15, 16 and 15.

In an affidavit executed by one of the victims, the 15-year-old stated that he and the others met the accused through a social networking site.

“Sometime in March 2011, an Australian national added me as his friend in Facebook. He chatted with me and asked my name and said he wanted us to meet,” the affidavit reads.

On November 4, 2011, the 15-year-old said and the two other victims went to a hotel in Lapu-lapu City as the accused instructed.

The victims said they were sexually abused by the Australian who paid them P500 to P2,000.

On December 21, 2011, the victims went to a hotel in Lahug to meet the accused.

When they were about to go out of the premises, they were apprehended by the hotel’s security guard and brought them to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). —(FREEMAN)