Supreme Court upholds guilty ruling vs trafficker

CEBU, Philippines - The Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction of a woman in Cebu City for hiring girls for sex.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Marivic Leonen, the SC said it found no error that would warrant the reversal of the lower court’s decision holding Shirley Casio guilty for violation of Section 4(a), qualified by Section 6(a) of Republic Act 9208, otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

“Regardless of the willingness of the victims, therefore, to be trafficked, we affirm the text and spirit of our laws. Minors should spend their adolescence molding their character in environments free of the vilest motives and the worse of other human beings. The evidence and the law compel us to affirm the conviction of accused in this case,” the decision reads.

The SC affirmed the penalty for Casio to suffer life imprisonment and pay a fine of P2 million with modification that she shall not be eligible for parole. She was also meted to pay the private complainants P500,000 for moral damages and P100,000 as exemplary damages.

Casio was arrested on May 2008 after the International Justice Mission, a non-governmental organization, coordinated with the police in order to entrap persons engaged in human trafficking in Cebu City.

Police Officers 1 Albert Luardo and Roy Carlo Veloso, designated as decoys, acted as tour guides looking for girls to entertain their guests.

They went to D. Jakosalem St. in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City’s red light district, to supposedly look for girls. There, they noticed Casio calling their attention and asked if they like girls, to which they nodded.

Casio brought two girls, one of whom a minor, and they proceeded to a motel where the two policemen later paid her.

After the transaction was consummated, the backup police arrested Casio while the girls were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

One of the girls, 17, said she met Casio through a friend who worked at a disco club. After learning that she was no longer a virgin, her friend offered her work, which she accepted as she needs money to help her father.

Casio denied the allegation, saying the two men were the ones who told her to look for a certain Gingging and tell her to bring companions.

With these facts, according to the SC, the prosecution was able to prove Casio’s guilt, further ruling that the positive testimonies of the prosecution witnesses outweigh the appellant’s denial.

The SC, in its decision, likewise hoped that the people and the government may address the issue of trafficking.

“By fulfilling our duties, we also express the hope that our people and our government unite against everything inhuman. We contribute to a commitment to finally stamp out slavery and human trafficking. There are more victims out there. They, too, deserve to be rescued. They, too, need to be shown that in spite of what their lives have been, there is still much good in our world,” it said.  (FREEMAN)