Club owner convicted for employing minors

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas lauded yesterday a Quezon City Regional Trial Court judge for handing down the conviction of the owner of a nightclub for hiring female minors.

Judge Jaime Salazar Jr., of Quezon City RTC 102, sentenced Salvador Austria, owner of the Metallica Disco Club in Quezon City, to imprisonment of six years and one day to eight years and one day for employing girls below 18 years old, which is prohibited by Philippine laws, a report submitted to Sto. Tomas said.

The landmark decision could boost the country’s campaign against the worst form of child labor, said a statement from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Austria was found violating Republic Act 7610, known as the "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act," Sto. Tomas said.

Salazar declared that Austria was responsible for the deceitful hiring and inducing of minors to perform obscene and indecent shows in violation of RA 7610.

"Sto. Tomas hailed Salazar’s decision, stressing the conviction of Austria was a milestone in the campaign against the employment of children in exploitive conditions," said the DOLE statement.

Sto. Tomas said it should also serve as stern warning to unscrupulous individuals and establishments against employing children in anomalous activities.

She urged the public to immediately report, to the police or the DOLE, employers or individuals who recruit and abuse child workers.

Assistant Labor Secretary Reydeluz Conferido said Austria’s conviction is a victory and an achievement of the Sagip Batang Manggagawa (SBM) team led by DOLE.

DOLE said that the SBM a composite interagency team, raided several disco houses in Quezon City, including Metallica, after placing them under surveillance in 1996.

About 33 girls were rescued and brought to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), 18 of them from Metallica.

Eleven of the Metallica girls were found to be minors, including a 17-year-old guest relations officer (GRO) and dancer who said she was hired by Pedrito Carlos "George" Herrera, Metallica’s general manager, when she was 16.

She also declared having known Austria as the owner of Metallica and admitted dancing nude along with other young girls.

The decision was also based on Herrera’s plea of guilt in an earlier plea bargaining.

This indicated that the accused Savaldor Austria was also guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man accused of killing his common-law-wife two years ago in a fit of jealousy was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Caloocan City judge yesterday.

Judge Bayani Rivera of RTC Branch 129 found Jesus Aquino, jobless, of 115 Libis Talisay, Caloocan City, guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the murder of Filipina de Leon, 24, of Kapak St., Libis Talisay, Caloocan. Aquino was also ordered by the judge to pay the victim’s family P289,720 in damages.

Court records showed that on the night of Nov. 13, 1999, Aquino killed de Leon by repeatedly stabbing her with a fan knife in his house.

The police said Aquino was consumed with jealousy after seeing De Leon in a neighbor’s house in Libis, Talisay. When confronted, De Leon did not give Aquino any reason as to why she was there.

This apparently irked Aquino and a bitter argument ensued, the police said. He slapped De Leon in the face, prompting her to lunge for a fan knife on top of a television set.

However, Aquino grabbed the knife away from the victim then stabbed her 11 times. She died on the spot.

Aquino hid at the Sangandaan cemetery after the killing but voluntarily surrendered to barangay officials the next day.

The accused admitted his crime to the court, but said that he did so after he blacked out when his common-law-wife hit him on the head. "Nagdilim ang paningin ko," he stated.

Aquino was hoping that the murder charges would be lowered homicide. However, Rivera found treachery and evident premeditation in the killing as autopsy reports showed that De Leon suffered nine stab wounds in the back.