Probe of alleged sex trafficking in Pampanga urged

MANILA, Philippines - The Gabriela party-list group is urging the House committees on women and foreign affairs to conduct an inquiry into the reported sex trafficking of women from Central Luzon to Sandakan, Malaysia.

Party-list representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan filed House Resolution No. 643 for the investigation, after it was reported that Filipino women, mostly from Pampanga province, were being lured by an alleged syndicate to work as waitresses in Sandakan, the second largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia.

The lawmakers said that if there was indeed sex trafficking, those responsible could be charged of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 or Republic Act No. 9208. The law penalizes trafficking of persons especially women and minors for sex and prostitution.

The media earlier reported that the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport was being used as a jump off point for bringing young women to prostitution dens in Sandakan.

Susan Pineda, executive director of the non-government Ing Makababaying Aksyon, exposed to the media that the airport was being used by a syndicate to transport trafficked women to Malaysia.

Pineda alleged that a certain Cindy Zamora Garcia of Angeles City headed the syndicate. She claimed that Garcia, who has a pending warrant of arrest for alleged human trafficking and illegal recruitment, remains at large.

Last year, the alleged leader of the syndicate was arrested on charges of illegal recruitment, but was able to get out of prison after posting bail, according to Pineda, former councilor of Angeles City.

She said young trafficked women who are promised of being employed as waitresses in Sandakan are often being raped upon their arrival in Malaysia, and later forced into prostitution.

Pineda said most of the women’s customers in Sandakan were sailors of various nationalities. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV

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