Two club dancers get life for human trafficking

A trial court yesterday convicted two female club dancers who recruited six girls, a boy, and a woman for sexual exploitation in Cebu City.

Dhayme “Nikki” Jamuad and Jillian “Candy” Ferrer were found guilty of violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and were each meted a penalty of life imprisonment.

P2 million
Each of them were also mandated to pay P2 million by the court.

In her ruling, Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso of Branch 6 gave credence to the testimonies of the victims against the claims of the accused.

“A witness who testified in a categorical, straightforward, spontaneous, and frank manner and remained consistent on cross-examination is a credible witness,” Judge Veloso echoed a ruling of the High Court.

“Positive identification of the accused, whether categorical and consistent, and without any showing of ill motive on the part of the eyewitness testifying on the matter, prevails over alibi and denial, which if not substantiated by clear and convincing evidence are negative and self-serving,” she added.

arrested
Sometime in 2008, police arrested the two accused and rescued the victims when they arrived at a pier in Cebu City.
In her testimony in court, Mia (not her real name) said she worked as a dancer in a bar in Cagayan de Oro since 2008.
She later learned that Jamuad, who also worked as a bar dancer, will be going to Cebu.

Mia claimed she wanted to go with Jamuad because she heard she would have a chance to receive bigger pay in Cebu compared to Cagayan de Oro.

In November 2008, she was beside another dancer Ferrer who got a call from her Korean boyfriend Jik Ryu.

Ferrer was allegedly told by the foreigner that the P25,000 was to be claimed as fare for the girls.

Mia along with the two accused proceeded to a mall in Cagayan de Oro to buy ship tickets.

She said she and the other victims boarded a ship for Cebu City.

In case someone would asked about their purpose in going to Cebu, Mia said they were instructed to claim they went to the city for a vacation.

Mia, an elementary graduate, said it was her first time to go to Cebu.

When they arrived in a Cebu port, they waited for the Korean national to pick them up.

age
However, a policeman arrived, asked them about their age, and brought them to the police station.

They were later turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The two accused, on the other hand, were arrested.

Mia claimed that she used to be ambitious and wanted to buy new things.

She was later housed by a nongovernment organization International Justice Mission (IJM).

Mia said she is sent back to school and her life is better now.

On their part, the two accused denied the allegations against them.

During her testimony, Ferrer said she and Jamuad thought of going to Cebu because they were not earning well in Cagayan de Oro.

Ferrer said she never enticed the victims to go with them.

She said her Korean boyfriend Jik Ryu sent her money. The victims allegedly asked her to pay for their travel expenses for the mean time.

Ferrer said she was disappointed by the allegations. She claimed she was also a victim of trafficking.

Jamuad also denied the allegations saying it was the Korean national who recruited them.

The court said the testimonies of the victims “strongly and clearly indicated that they were transported and accompanied by the two accused on the boat from Cagayan de Oro to Cebu where they would be working in a bar.”

The law against human trafficking prohibits the “recruitment, transportation, transfer or harboring, or receipt of persons with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge… for the purpose of exploitation, prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation….”